A Non-Governmental Organization, the Participatory Communication for Gender Development (PAGED) Initiative, has called on parents to support girls’ enrollment and retention in schools.
PAGED Initiative Program Director, Ummi Bukar made the call over the weekend during mobile cinema sessions in Karaye Local Government Area of Kano State.
According to her, education is a fundamental human right and a powerful tool for empowering girls and women.
Bukar said that investing in girls’ education is not only a moral duty but also a smart strategy for sustainable development.
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SOLACEBASE reports that PAGED Initiative is a non-profit organization committed to promoting girls’ education in Nigeria.
The NGO Program Director added that the effort is aimed at breaking barriers to girls’ education and building the capacity of young women in society.
“We are here in this community for so many reasons. We are here because we are raising young community advocates for girls’ education. We have built their capacity and they have come here to practically begin their advocacy for girls’ education by learning from the grassroots what the issues around girls’ education are, and using mobile cinema to educate parents on the importance of girls’ education.”
“We have films and documentaries about girls’ education that we showcased to them by using a projector, all in order to promote girls’ education.”
“As you can see here, we gathered both males and females in different classes. We use the mobile cinema to educate them and create awareness of girls’ education because we believe that this goal will not be achieved by engaging only mothers. We need to include fathers in order to have a good outcome.”
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Rukayya Salisu is a resident of Turawa community in Karaye Local Government of Kano State, who participated in the session. She expressed happiness over the documentary that was shown to them. She said it motivated her to continue sending her children to school.
“The documentary is very educative and I learned a lot from it. We will send our children to school, but most of the time it is not like we don’t want to send them to school, but poverty is playing a role in it. So we have to send them to hawk in order to earn a living before we send them to school, but we are trying our best.”
Rabi Usman is another resident of Turawa community in Karaye LGA. She said some of the reasons that are discouraging them from sending their girls to school and marrying them out are that they only have one junior secondary school in the community. They are left with no option but to marry them out after they finish their junior secondary school.
“We have only one junior secondary school in this community. Once our children finish that school, we have to marry them out, because we don’t have a senior secondary school in this community that they can continue with their studies. And the senior secondary schools that we have are too far and expensive for us to afford.”
As part of the tour to continue with the advocacy for girl child education through using mobile cinema in Kano, PAGED Initiative also visited Makoda Local Government in order to educate them on the importance of girls’ education.
Alhaji Labaran Abdullahi Dutsin Gima, District Head of Makoda who received the entourage of PAGED Initiative at his palace, appreciated the effort of the organization for the wonderful job they have been doing to ensure girls are educated.
‘What you are doing is nation building, because if you educate the girls, it is like you educate the world. We will support you to achieve your aims and objectives of this project. Just take Makoda as a home to you. If you need anything, feel free and come to me. We will support you.’
Hauwa Mukhtar is a resident of Kuguna in Makoda LGA. She said their problem is not sending their children to schools, but that there are no teachers in the schools when they send them.
“As we always say, we want our children to go to schools, but we don’t have teachers in the schools. Your people are emphasizing on girls’ education and we are happy with that, but don’t expect us to send our girls to schools where there are no teachers. Females are not like boys. We need to take good care of them.”
“We need the government to bring teachers to our schools so that we will have confidence in sending them there, because we know when we send them they are in good hands and someone will at least teach them.’
Hajara Isa, another resident said once they get teachers in their schools, they will continue sending them to acquire education.
“We are ready to send our children to schools, whenever we have teachers in our various schools. We call on the government to consider our situation.’
Kabiru Musa is also a resident who participated in the session. He said he found it very educative and he will do the needful by allowing his children to go to school, especially girls.
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