Every morning, Zainab walks to school in her green checked uniform and her sandals. She holds a few books in her hands, because she has no school bag to put them in. No spare pencil or full set of books. Zainab is one of many.
Across Nigeria, many families cannot meet the cost of education. Children walk to school without bags and with only a few books, or without uniforms. Many more are not in school at all. They are at home, or on the street, while their mates in other parts of the world are in classrooms.
Children like Zainab are not failing. The system around them is. Across Nigeria, the cost of education has become more than many families can carry, and too many children who should be in class are at home or on the street instead.
This October, something different happened.
Our Country Director, Andrew Mamedu, decided to spend his birthday with children like Zainab. Together with Community Sponsorship, he asked his friends for one thing: help raise ₦5 million to put school bags, books and school fees in the hands of children who needed them.
Friends gave ₦2,510,000. Then Community Sponsorship drew another ₦2.5 million from your support to complete the ₦5 million.
Your giving did more than we could have hoped for.
In Kilankwa II community, FCT, 150 children received educational materials. At Vine Heritage Home in Kuje, 50 children had their school fees paid. That is 200 children who can now go back to class better equipped to stay there. This formed the launch of our #Back2School campaign.
And because a child can’t learn on an empty stomach, your support also filled the kitchen at Vine Heritage Home with 84 tins of baby milk (7 cartons), 50kg of millet, 50kg of guinea corn, 25 litres each of red oil and groundnut oil, 7 bags of rice, 2 bags of beans, a bag of salt and a carton of Maggi. Today, Zainab walks to school with a new bag on her back with exercise books fully packed.
That is what happens when people give, however small.
But 200 is only the beginning. Right now, there are many more children like Zainab. When school reopens in January, many of them may not be able to return. Their families are stretched, and the cost of a bag, books, and fees will keep them at home.
Back2School aims to change that. We want to reach more children in specific communities across Nigeria with educational support, so that by January, they are back in class.
Your birthday is coming up, you can ask your friends to give them towards a child’s school bag, books, or fees. We’ll walk with you through it and show you who your celebration reached.
Celebrate your birthday with us and give a childlike Zainab a reason to smile on the way to school.