Rural Education Access Initiative partners FG to upskill 4,000 children

Aid for Rural Education Access Initiative (AREAi) has partnered with the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) on ‘Project Educate All’ to equip about 4000 children in IDP camps across the country with skills.

Gideon Olanrewaju, executive director at AREAi assured that the partnership would drive the facilitation and access to accelerated and informal educational opportunities for internally displaced persons (IDP), refugee, and migrant children.

‘Project Educate All’ is focused on addressing the foundational needs that bridge the educational gaps of children amongst persons of concern (PoCs), and the marginalised communities in Nigeria,” Olanrewaju said.

In addition, he said; “This pilot is being implemented across eight IDP camps namely: New Kuchingoro, Takuchara, Karamajiji, Wassa, Waru, New Karshi, Malaysian Garden, and Yimutu, which have over 800 children, ages 5 to 18 enrolled already.

These children will be equipped with relevant skills across four different pathways, namely: Literacy, Numeracy, 21st Century Life Skills, and the Digital Skills Accelerator (DSA) program for STEM.

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“This initiative is heavily integrated with globally recognised methodologies and digital technology that allows these children to experience learning at their teaching levels, as well as the ability to learn in their own mother tongue for enhanced understanding.”

Imaam Sulieman-Ibrahim, federal commissioner at NCFRMI in her remarks at the official flag-off/ project launch recently concisely stated: “This engagement has not only provided the much-needed employment in these communities but also allowed us to prioritize the localization of our interventions and promote the sustainability of the programme.”

The federal commissioner maintained that education remains the bedrock of development, peaceful coexistence and pointed out that without education for all, the displaced would lead a very harsh life and existence, one that could also lead to severe social and economic consequences for the nation, particularly for the people of concern (PoCs), IDPs, and host communities.

“We must not forget that education is a fundamental human right, and the right to quality education should not stop because of conflict and displacement, stating that children must be able to go to school, learn in a safe environment, and be given a chance to develop their full potential, whether they live in an IDP camp, a makeshift settlement, a town, or are still on the move,” she said.