By | Goodluck E. Adubazi, Abuja
After five years of recording significant impact in its fight against illiteracy and the growing number of out-of-school children, the Regy and Henry Amazon Foundation (RHAGF) has launched Phase Two of its Slum-to-School Initiative, enrolling vulnerable children and distributing free school bags and educational materials to pupils in Piwoyi Community, Abuja.
About 100 pupils of Community Primary School, Piwoyi, received brand-new school bags and essential educational materials during an outreach organised by the Foundation to support vulnerable children and encourage school enrolment and retention.
Speaking at the event, the National Coordinator and Convener of the non-governmental organisation, Dr. Regina Duru, said investing in the education of children was critical to transforming lives and giving young people a stronger sense of belonging and hope for the future.
Duru identified poverty as one of the major factors responsible for the growing number of out-of-school children, stressing that the Foundation had enrolled some vulnerable children in school free of charge as part of efforts to remove financial barriers preventing them from accessing education.
She said the organisation was also providing free training programmes in different areas of skill acquisition and financial literacy for parents, caregivers and youths to promote self-reliance and enable families to better support their children to remain in school.
According to her, the initiative aligns directly with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 4 on Quality Education, Goal 10 on Reduced Inequalities and Goal 17 on Partnerships for the Goals.
Duru called on the Federal Government and other relevant authorities to give greater priority to the education sector by renovating dilapidated school structures and providing adequate learning materials, particularly for children in rural and underserved communities within the Federal Capital Territory.
Representing the FCT Administration, the Acting Director of Social Welfare at the FCT Social Development Secretariat, Gloria Onwuka, acknowledged the persistent challenge of out-of-school and vulnerable children, describing the situation as a matter of serious concern that required sustained and coordinated action.
She said the reality of children being denied access to education weighed heavily on the collective conscience of society and called for stronger collaboration among government institutions and other stakeholders.
Onwuka assured that the FCT Administration was working to remove barriers keeping children out of school, but stressed that government alone could not successfully address the challenge.
She said the commitment of traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations, development partners, the private sector and concerned citizens was essential to ensuring that every child had access to education.
The Chief of Piwoyi Community, Tanko Ebaigo, commended the Regy and Henry Amazon Foundation for choosing the community for the programme and for its intervention in supporting vulnerable children.
Ebaigo, however, lamented the enormous economic hardship currently affecting residents of the community and appealed to government to create jobs and provide an enabling environment that would help families improve their livelihoods.
He said addressing poverty and unemployment remained critical to tackling the problem of out-of-school children, not only in Piwoyi but across the country.
The commencement of the second phase of the Slum-to-School Initiative marks another step in the Foundation’s sustained campaign to expand access to education, following the successes and impacts recorded during the five-year first phase of the programme.
RHAGF partnered with SOOWER Foundation and the NMEC as major partners in the project. Other partners included NATCOM-UNESCO, El Rakhun Foundation and Daruwana Foundation. The partners were praised by beneficiaries of the Slum-to-School Initiative for their contributions to the success of the project.
About RHAGF
Regy and Henry Amazing Grace Foundation is an Abuja-based NGO focused on education, drug prevention, youth empowerment, and community development in slum areas. RHAGF’s flagship programs include Slum-to-School, Skills Acquisition and Advocacy all designed to keep children in school and off the streets.
Mrs. Duru Regina, PhD National Coordinator .
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