Emir, stakeholders pledge support towards educational-oriented programmes for adolescents,
Emir, stakeholders pledge support towards educational-oriented programmes for adolescents
The Emir of Dukku in Gombe, Alhaji Haruna Rasheed, has pledged to support educational-oriented programmes for adolescents in his emirate.
Rasheed made the pledge on Monday at his palace during the final of the choices, voices and promises programme which is under the Reaching and Empowering Adolescents to make Choices for their Health (REACH) Project.
The royal father said that the REACH project has positively impacted his emirate as more parents were now enrolling their children into schools.
“It is important that children are properly educated to at least secondary school level and those who want to attain higher education must be supported by their parents.”
“The REACH project ensures that adolescents in this emirate are empowered with the knowledge of making informed choices on their health and education,” he said.
He urged the project’s facilitators to train more adolescents in the emirate to benefit from its numerous educational opportunities.
“I also commend the facilitators for successfully implementing the REACH project in the 10 wards of Dukku Local Government Area.
Alhaji Abubakar Abdulkadir Rasheed, the district head of Dokoro said the project had done beyond his expectation in terms of improving education of children especially girl-child, hence “I will support the project to continue so that more can benefit.’’
Miss Hafsat Abubakar, 15, a beneficiary of the project said it has enabled her pursue her academic goals and pledged to judiciously utilise the opportunity.
“I was not attending school in the past just as my sisters who ended stopped their academic pursuits at primary six.
“I am presently in Senior Secondary School two and the first girl in my family to go beyond primary school level.
“My father has given me permission to study medicine in the university and I thank the project’s facilitators for such opportunity,” she said.
Another beneficiary, Nasiru Isa, 15 said he was a firewood seller before now but expressed his thanks to SCI as “ I am now in JSS 3 and I want to study agriculture-related courses because I love farming.”
Miss Altine Lewi, Manager of Save the Children International (SCI) the project’s facilitators, commended the Emir and other stakeholders for their roles in ensuring the project’s success in the area.
“We trained adolescents in the area for seven weeks on education, importance of girls’ enrollment in schools, rights to choose careers among others.
“We also offered marriage tutorials to the beneficiaries to assist them in choosing whom and when to marry,” she said.
Our correspondent reports that aside the royal father and the district head, Dukku Local Government Chairman, Alh Jamilu Ahmed Shabiwa who was represented by Waziri South councilor, Abdulkadir Abubakar Alkali also pledged to support the project.
The project is being implemented in Balanga and Dukku Local Government Areas of Gombe by the SCI through Kishimi Shelter and Care Foundation with funding from the Canadian government.
