The Adolescent Girl’s Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project, has organized a sensitization meeting with parents and relevant stakeholders, on girls education, scholarship opportunities and gender based violence (GBV),in some selected local government areas.
The meeting, held at Bagwai local government area, Kano south senatorial district brought together parents, CBOs, NGOs, traditional and religious leaders, interest groups, among others.
Speaking to newsmen, AGILE state project Coordinator, Alhaji Ado Tafida Zango explained that, the project had supported over 70 thousand students with cash transfers for uniforms and instructional materials.
He maintained that, as part of efforts to provide new, safe and secured learning environment, 130 new schools would be constructed in addition to 1,228 boys and girls public schools that were renovated.
The state project coordinator, highlighted that, beneficiaries were selected based on poverty ranking level, where the poor and vulnerable communities were identified and validated, to receive the conditional cash transfer, saying that areas lacking schools were also identified to receive interventions.
“New schools are going to be constructed 130 schools, 55 junior secondary schools expanded to new senior secondary, while 75 primary schools would be upgraded to have a new junior secondary school”
In her remarks, the lead person social norms component, concerned with promoting social behavioral change, Hajiya Halima Sadiya Tukur, said the program is targeted towards girls enrollment, retention, transition and completion.
She pointed out that, they engage in sensitizing stakeholders, through communication campaigns, and advocacy to relevant stakeholders on issues of girl child education in Kano state, to achieve the desired objectives.
“To sensitize mother’s,parents and community stakeholders from 10 local governments on importance of GE, conditional cash transfer and GBV”
Presenting a paper on benefits of girls education, the state coordinator CSACEFA, who doubles as lecturer Department of Adult Education and Community Development Bayero University Kano, Dr. Auwal Halilu, described girls education as the backbone of any meaningful society.
He highlighted that, the main focus is to showcase, to the students and mothers that there are women in the society, that have excelled, in terms of education.
Dr. Auwal charged parents and guardians, to utilize the support from AGILE by sending their children to schools.
“We are here at Bagwai, to inform the mother’s in the grassroots, that they need to send their children to school, they need to be educated with utilization of the support from Agile,showcase some commitment”
KHADIJAH ALIYU
