Kaduna, northwestern Nigeria—As the number of out-of-school children grows across Nigeria, a community-based organization in the Igabi local government area of Kaduna State, Rigasa Action and Awareness Forum (RAAF), launched a campaign, “Donate a Book,” to support disadvantaged children with study material.
The campaign “Donate a Book” is a mission to curtail illiteracy and reduce the number of our out-of-school children in the country, RAAF president, comrade Hassan Abubakar, revealed in an interview with Daily Episode.
Abubakar states, “We have been so worried and concerned about the increase in the number of out-of-school children in our community, Riigasa, which some parents attribute to poverty.”
Of course, we understand the trying moment in the country, but poverty is not an excuse for illiteracy; at least almost everyone can afford a public school; thus, we advocate to the parents the importance of enrolling their children in the schools and offer support to them as a motivation, as some of the children are already engaged in either street hawking or some minor labor that can pose a threat to the education.
RAAF, as a community-based organization, can’t do it alone because of the financial involvement, so, through our education committee, we launched the “Donate a Book” campaign, calling on all individuals and groups to donate a single book or at least ₦200 that can buy a book.
Surprisingly, many people turned out; we received books from people within the diaspora. To my greatest surprise was how both Christians and Muslims united to contribute to eradicating the out-of-school syndrome in our community, and Alhamdulillah—meaning (thank God)—we now have more than three thousand (3000) books for disadvantaged children.”. Abubakar mentioned
“Not only books as requested, but also both reading materials, shoes, and uniforms were also donated to us, which we have since started distributing to the marked eleven schools in dire need of the support.
So far eight schools have benefited, which we give to 40 children in each class; some children were even crying for the items given to them, and it’s a sign that we are restoring hope in them.
Now we are to continue with the rest of the three schools left, which, after resumption from the holidays, will also benefit as others were privileged,” Abubakar added.
He further called for more hands to support the movement, as education support is everyone’s business because illiteracy is the root of insecurity, which, if not curtailed, will not yield positive results.
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