Helping children in Nigeria to understand education is their right
Their voice may be faint but their pens are sharp now. This was the expression of students and pupils of St Paul’s College (a mix of primary and secondary schools) in Kabba, Kogi, Nigeria. A team of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members distributed writing materials and we talked about the #UpforSchool campaign and educated them on the importance of education and education as a right.
It’s no news that most students and kids in schools like these attend classes with either insufficient books and writing materials or nothing because their parents cannot afford it or neglect its importance.
As a Global Youth Ambassador for A World at School, I briefed the students and pupils on the activities of AWAS, inspiring them to value education and love education – citing our success and that of other global ambassadors. The climax of the day was when students wanted their “pen-full voices” heard and happily signed the #UpforSchool Petition on their blackboards.
My next passion is ProjectREAD, where I’m building a team to build libraries for these schools, furnish them with relevant books, start book clubs and “students inspiring students” sessions and also speak out to make government invest more in education.
A total of 58 million kids are out of school globally, with Nigeria scoring high on the list – and I’m here to change that. Come join me. Show your support and sign the petition.
Remember, as Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai said: “One child, one teacher, one pen and one book can change the world.