By Ude Ogbonnaya Israel
In a significant stride toward tackling the systemic barriers to girls’ education in Bauchi State, the GEM project has successfully reintegrated 16 girls back into school in Sabon Kaura community.
Speaking to our correspondent at the phasing out event recently in the community, Jane Mann-Effiong Malala Fund Fellow of the GEM project who is the driving force behind the project has this to say:
“We wanted to create a platform where these girls could see beyond their current circumstances and realize that they are capable of achieving great things. The GEM Club is not just about mentorship; it’s about sparking a movement of empowered young girls who will go on to change their communities.”
She said the project directly supported 16 girls by providing essential school kits, including notebooks, shoes, uniforms, and bag which are pivotal in ensuring that the girls could return to school and stay enrolled despite economic challenges.
Emphasizing the need for sustained support, urging citizens, corporate organizations, civil society, and the government to step in and expand the impact:
“Financial limitations meant we could only assist a few girls this time. But the demand for such support is much higher, and we call on well-meaning individuals and organizations to join us in this cause,” she appealed.
Some Sabon Kaura community leaders and beneficiaries of the GEM Project who spoke to our correspondent on the day of the wrapping up of the project phase, shared their commitments and excitement respectively.
According to the traditional ruler of the community Mallam Abdusalams Umar, they are ready to monitor the parents of the girls to ensure that they remain in school having been motivated by the support from the project.
“We are impressed by the hope the project has brought to benefiting girls of different households and on our part will try to monitor the parents of these girls to ensure they don’t abuse it.
“I am most grateful to the effort of this young lady in bringing this ray of hope to the girls of this community and as leaders we are ready to offer any form of support that can move the intentions of the project forward”, the traditional leader said.
On his part, the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) chairman Suleiman Mohammed Diko submitted that they are already putting things in place to ensure parents and teachers of various schools especially the benefiting ones aids the implementation of the project.
The youth leader of the community Ibrahim Yau admonished the students not the take the opportunity for granted but be at their best as a lot of resources was committed to executing the project.
Like others, Fatima Mohammed, one the beneficiaries could not contain her excitement as part of the latest 16 beneficiaries of new school bags, uniforms, shoes and writing books.
She said, “We are very happy and appreciate the gifts; we promise to try our best in focusing on our education as girls denied the privilege of education in this part of Nigeria; thank you, thank you thank you”.
