About 60,000 out of school children of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) residing in Bauchi will be assisted by Oando Foundation in collaboration with USAID Emergency Crisis Response (ECR) to get access to education.
The intervention is part of Oando Foundation’s planned efforts to enroll 60,000 internally displaced children into formal schools across Nigeria by 2018.
The Head of Oando Foundation, Adekanla Adegoke who stated this at the presentation of learning materials to 250 IDPs children who graduated from an Informal Learning Centre in Liman Katagum, Bauchi State, said that the plan is to absorb the children to mainstream schools in the communities where they are residing in Bauchi State.
Adegoke added that to better integrate these vulnerable children into mainstream schools, the Foundation distributed education starter kits to learners in Bauchi and Adamawa state.
“The starter kits are made up of educational materials crucial to easing children’s transition, re integration, retention and addressing the hidden costs of education in schools,” she said.
Adegoke noted that, the Foundation’s partnership with USAID ECR to mainstream the children and facilitate their placement into 11 schools it adopted in Adamawa and Bauchi states.
“This is the first in a series of education interventions targeting internally displaced and out of school children in North Eastern Nigeria. Our call to action is clear, we need to bridge the widening educational gap and ensure that no child is denied the right to education.
“Through our Adopt a School Initiative, our target is to enroll 60,000 children in schools across Nigeria over a 3 year period, ensure reintegration of internally displaced children in formal education and improve learning outcomes. We are working with the government, interested partners and communities in select states,” she added.
Speaking earlier, the Executive Chairperson of Bauchi State Agency for Mass Education, Hajiya Yelwa Tafawa Balewa commended the foundation for its support to the education of the IDPs children living in the state.
