By Idris Khalid.
The Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project in Bauchi State has urged facilitators engaged under its alternative education programme to demonstrate commitment and dedication towards educating 24,000 adolescent girls who have missed out on formal education.
The state project coordinator, Hajiya Ladi Hamma Muhammad, made the call at the end of a five-day training programme organised for facilitators expected to teach the beneficiaries.
The initiative, under sub-component 2.2C of the AGILE Project, targets girls aged between 15 and 22 who have either never attended school or dropped out due to various circumstances..
Hamma urged the facilitators to return to their respective local government areas and learning centres after the training to organise their learners and ensure that teaching and learning activities commence in full force.
She explained that the programme was designed to provide basic literacy and numeracy education to girls who had never attended school, while those who previously attended school but dropped out would receive post-literacy education to strengthen their existing knowledge.
According to her, the project has identified more than 24,000 prospective beneficiaries for its second year of implementation following an enumeration exercise conducted in vulnerable communities across the state.
Speaking on the performance of the pilot phase, Hamma disclosed that 1,766 adolescent girls were enrolled and trained across the 20 local government areas of the state during the first year of implementation.
She described the performance of the first cohort as successful and commendable, noting that the programme had recorded significant improvements in the learners’ knowledge and behaviour.
“I would say the performance of the first cohort was successful and highly commendable. We recorded significant behavioural changes among the learners.
“Some of them enrolled in the programme without knowing the alphabet or even how to add simple numbers such as one plus one.
“However, by the end of the six-month training, they had progressed beyond identifying letters to constructing meaningful and grammatically correct sentences. This demonstrates the positive impact of the programme,” she said.
The project coordinator reminded the facilitators that they had been entrusted with an important responsibility and urged them to approach their assignments with commitment, dedication and seriousness.
She also advised them to treat the beneficiaries with respect and compassion, just as they would their own sisters, mothers and daughters, while ensuring that they applied the knowledge and skills acquired during the training.
Hamma disclosed that the project had put in place a monitoring and supervision mechanism, including a monthly monitoring plan, to ensure effective implementation of the programme.
“In addition, we have already prepared an itinerary for our monitoring team to visit the various centres within the next two weeks to assess what the facilitators have started doing with the learners.
“We believe that without proper and consistent monitoring and supervision, we may not be able to sustain or improve upon the achievements recorded in the previous cohort,” she added.
Meanwhile, the component Lead for Alternative Education under the AGILE Project, Hajiya Sa’adatu Muhammad, said the programme was designed to provide educational opportunities for adolescent girls who could no longer conveniently return to conventional primary schools.
She explained that beneficiaries would have the opportunity to transition into the formal education system after completing the programme, while those who chose not to continue their formal education would still acquire essential reading, writing and communication skills.
According to her, the programme also incorporates life skills education, including personal hygiene, menstrual health management, critical thinking, decision-making and leadership skills.
She added that the beneficiaries would receive financial literacy and livelihood skills training to prepare them for economic independence.
“After the first three to six months of basic literacy, numeracy and life skills education, they will be introduced to the livelihood training component,” she said.
She noted that the overall objective was to equip the beneficiaries with educational and practical skills that would enable them to become self-reliant and financially independent after completing the one-year programme.
The component lead disclosed that more than 186 learning centres had been identified, with additional communities expressing interest in having centres established to provide educational opportunities for their girls.
She further revealed that the project planned to engage 400 facilitators to teach the beneficiaries, adding that applicants were required to possess relevant educational qualifications, including the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE), Higher National Diploma (HND), university degrees or recognised teaching qualifications.
According to her, the project had trained the first batch of 140 facilitators drawn from Bauchi South and three local government areas in Bauchi Central Senatorial District including Darazo, Ningi and Warji.
She said another training session would subsequently be organised for facilitators from Bauchi North, explaining that the arrangement was based on geographical proximity and accessibility.
Sa’adatu also disclosed that beneficiaries would receive financial support through phased cash transfers to encourage their participation and sustain their commitment to the programme.
She explained that the first payment would be made after beneficiaries had completed six months of literacy and numeracy education, while the second would follow the completion of the livelihood skills training.
In separate interviews, some facilitators, Hauwa Musa Bayero from Darazo and Balkisu Sabo Gwaram, said the training had equipped them with the knowledge and skills required to effectively teach and support the beneficiaries.
They, however, identified mobilising and gathering the women at designated learning centres as one of the major challenges that could affect the programme’s implementation.
The facilitators urged the beneficiaries to remain committed and dedicate sufficient time to their studies to maximise the opportunities provided by the initiative.
They also appealed to husbands to support their wives’ participation by allowing them to attend the learning sessions, noting that educating women would help them manage their personal affairs and contribute more effectively to their families.
The facilitators pledged their commitment to working diligently towards achieving the objectives of the programme.
