UNICEF Empowers Another 720 Out-of-school Children in Kaduna

John Shiklam in Kaduna

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has trained 720 out-of-school adolescent boys and girls in Zaria Local Government Area of Kaduna State in various skills to empower them.

Speaking during their graduation on Wednesday at the palace of the emir of Zazzau, Amb. Ahmed Bamalli, UNICEF’s representative and child rights specialist, Dr. Wilfred Mamah, said the training was aimed at empowering adolescent girls and boys to tackle age long discrimination and neglect that expose them to violence, abuse, and neglect.

He said so far, a total of 3,760 girls and boys had been empowered in Kaduna State by UNICEF and its partners since 2022.

Mamah said: “No society can be said to be developed if her girls and women are neglected and incapacitated. We must work together to change the narrative.”

He said the training of the children in tailoring, bag and shoe making, started three months ago with a view to giving them the tool and voice to escape vulnerabilities.

“Today, we are delighted to witness their successful graduation with professional skills in the high sought areas of shoe and bag-making.

“This proves to us once again that change is possible and that no barriers are insurmountable when opportunities meet commitment,” Mamah said.

According to him, “The COVID pandemic brought to the front burner the heightened vulnerability of children on the street, especially the Almajiri and adolescent girls who lack parental support and care. 

“These children, cut up in over 500-year history of informal guardianship arrangement are often exposed to violence, abuse and neglect hampering their rights to life, survival and development as provided for in Kaduna State Child Protection and Welfare Law, 2018.”

Mamah explained that a survey carried out by UNICEF in collaboration with the Kaduna State government in 2022 revealed that 104,193 adolescent girls and 209,950 Almajiri are in dire need of protection as many of them are on the streets, out-of-school, with little or no means of survival.

He said: “In our interaction with the Emir of Zazzau ( Ahmed Bamalli) on 21 November 2022 on the issue of Almajiri and out-of-school children, with a view to reforming the Almajiri system, His Royal Highness emphasized the need to engage with community leaders and gave new insights around what means to be ‘out-of school/to be literate.

“His Royal Highness advised that Almajiri children are not necessarily out-of school or illiterate.

“The skill of memorizing the Qur’an is a high indication of high capacity to learn.”

Mamah noted that the experience gathered in the past three years of embarking on the community-rooted skill acquisition, “has proven beyond doubts that indeed Almajiri and children out-of-school have real potentials to learn, earn and escape multiple vulnerabilities that stand on their way to success”.

He said not all the beneficiaries of the training were given starter packs or shops “for the simple reason of lack of adequate resources”.

He, therefore, called on the Zaria Local Government chairman, lawmakers representing the area in the state and National Assembly “who receive constituency allocations to step in and collaborate with UNICEF to empower more boys and girls”.

Mamah thanked UK-based ELEVA Foundation, NOA, Zaria Local Government and the Emir of Zazzau for championing the cause of child protection in Kaduna State.

In his remarks, the emir commended UNICEF for the investment in children, saying: “Permit me to express my deight in this terrific investment you have made in our children.

“The support and contributions of UNICEF in our community cannot be over emphasised. We appreciate you for what you have done in helping our community, and we will continue to support you.”