By: Monday Danladi, Bauchi
Parents of more than 50 out-of-school children in Gwoli Community in Bauchi LGA of Bauchi State, have been encouraged to re enrolled their children back to school.
The encouragement was done by a Bauchi based NGO, Imperial Women Initiative (IWI), during a one-day Community Sensitization and Back-to-School Programme on the signature programme: “Rebuilding the Broken Wall” project held at Gwoli Community in Bauchi LGA.
As part of the Back-to-School intervention, educational materials were donated to participating children in the Community
The materials were provided to encourage the children and offer practical support for their education thereby reinforcing the message that the community, parents, organisations and other stakeholders all have a role to play in helping children remain in school.
In her observations during the programme, Executive Director of IWI, Victoria Ayodele, said that the engagement showed that the community has a significant need for interventions that address access to education, particularly for children who have discontinued schooling.
Also, the high proportion of girls among the identified out-of-school children was a concern and demonstrated the importance of targeted efforts to support girls’ continued education.
The programme further showed that combining sensitization with interactive activities such as quizzes and games can create a positive environment for children and make discussions about education more engaging.
According to her, “There is therefore a need for continued engagement with parents, community leaders, schools, government institutions, donors and other partners to identify sustainable solutions for children who face barriers to education.”
The Executive Director encouraged parents and caregivers to consider education as an important investment in the future of their children and urged the community to work collectively with IWI and other stakeholders to address barriers to education.
She however said that the programme recorded strong participation from the Gwoli Community stressing that the participation of 60 women and 20 men demonstrated significant community interest in the programme and provided an important platform for dialogue around education, child welfare, family strengthening and women’s empowerment.
The ED added that the objectives of the Programme was to introduce community members to Imperial Women Initiative and its Rebuilding the Broken Wall signature programme as well as sensitize parents and community members on the importance of education.
It was also to encourage families to support children who are currently out of school to return to school, identify some of the challenges preventing children from continuing their education, encourage greater attention to the education of girls, provide children with an opportunity to learn and have fun through quizzes, games and interactive activities, promote awareness of child health and well-being, strengthen cooperation between IWI, the community and relevant stakeholders and provide educational materials to support participating children.
