The United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF) in collaboration with Sokoto state government, has commenced skills acquisition training of Almajiiri out-of-school school children and adolescents girls school drop-outs.
Newsmen reports that the project was supported by ELEVA Foundation aimed at promoting the total wellbeing of out-of- school children as well as adolescent girls drop-out across the state.
In a field visits, the UNICEF Child Protection Officer, Mr Ibrahim Sessay, the programme was being conducted at two established Community Based Child Protection Multipurpose Centres in Kware and Dange/Shuni Local Government Areas of Sokoto State.
Sessay said at present no fewer than 4,700 Almajiri and out-of-school adolescent girls were enlisted for trainings to prepare them on livelihoods skills for their future wellbeing.
He said the skills comprised tailoring, soap making, antiseptic production and shampoo production.
According to him, out of the enlisted figure, 3,000 are Almajiri children, 1,700 are out of school adolescent girls across 8 Local Government Areas of the state.
He added that about 2,000 out-of-school children were also identified and referred back to schools in the covered local government areas.
The Child Protection Officer further explained that the two multi purpose centres would provide recreational opportunities for children, safe space for counseling services, mental health support and psychosocial services besides occupational training.
Sessay appealed to state government to increase budgetary allocations to sectors impacting children’s education , health, sanitation and protection to ensure the expansion and sustainability of the interventions.
He underscored the importance of scaling up the initiative in other locations in the state to ensure that a larger number of vulnerable Almajiri and out-of-school adolescent girls have access to education.
Earlier, the Chief of Office UNICEF Sokoto, Mr Michael Juma, said the effort would reduce the vulnerability of children in Sokoto state.
Juma explained that the Sokoto state Arabic and Islamic Board, Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, supported by UNICEF had identifed and registered vulnerable children.
He added that in a comprehensive survey a total of 449, 523 children were verified and registered comprising 113,208 Almajiris and 136, 315 out-of-school children and adolescent girls.
He maintained that the initiative is targeted other vulnerable groups such as survivors of Gender Based Violence (GBV), victims of violence against Children (VAC) and others.
In his remark, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Alhaji Tukur Alkali, thanked UNICEF and ELEVA Foundation for the gesture.
Alkali said Gov. Ahmed Aliyu’s led administration is poised to reduced out-of-school of school children through
deliberate policies targeted in massive enrollment of children in the school.
Speaking on behalf of benefiting communities, the District Head of Kware, Alhaji Muhammad Dan’Iya, thanked UNICEF and ELEVA Foundation for building and equipping of the multipurpose centres and assured more support to achieve maximum success.
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