CNEF.

KEY FINDINGS

1. Dilapidated structures.
2. Extreme poor state of roofs in some classrooms causing inconvenience during teaching and learning session.
3. Damaged borehole that supplies water to the school, making it difficult to access portable water.
4. Inadequate number of classrooms.
5. Lack of chairs both for students and the teachers.
6. Poor toilet system.
7. Lack of library.

STRATEGIC RESPONSE STRATEGY

Based on the Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO), the 2022 Education Sector response focuses on three main objectives:

1. Improve access for conflict-affected children and adolescents to inclusive quality basic education and vocational skills opportunities within a safe learning environment.
2. Support the provision of quality and conflict-sensitive educational services to enhance learning.
3. Enhance/maintain the capacity of government ministries, departments, agencies (MDAs), and communities to plan and deliver a timely, appropriate, and evidence-based education in emergency response.

In line with the above objectives, some of Cosmic Nudge Empowerment Foundation (CNEF) general objectives are:

1. Selection of target population in the selected LGAs (Schools and beneficiaries). CNEF will support Education in Emergencies to a total of 5,820 children in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states with 58% of them female.
2. Where structures are lacking, semi-permanent TLCs will be constructed in line with best practices prioritizing childrens safety and security, including safe locations, perimeter fences, and the availability of first aid kits and WASH services and maintaining covid-19 guidelines. Construction and renovations will also aim to meet the accessibility needs of Children with disabilities (CwDs).
3. Capacity-building training sessions to communities members, SBMCs, social workers, and Government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (Ministry of Education, Borno State Universal Basic Education Board – SUBEB) on educational infrastructures’ management and the main child protection issues/psychosocial needs/referral system.
4. Community sensitization through “back-to-school” campaigns to address parents’ reluctance to send their children to school, most of all for girls.
5. Provision of conditional cash transfers to households to support school fees and learning materials.
6. Training for teachers on improved teaching techniques, risk education, and Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) for teachers.
7. Provision of both formal and alternative basic education programs (ex. integrated Qur’anic Education and accelerated learning models).
8. Rolling out of the package of services under the educational services: This service will include Supplies of Early Childhood Development ECD kits, for scholars and teachers.
9. Supply of basic school materials, equipment, and furniture (ex. chairs, desks, registers).
10. To reinforce communities’ resilience through participation in school development and risk reduction planning.
11. Creation and/or reactivation of School-based Management Committees (SBMCs).
12. Establishment of a community/school COVID-19 Referral System (protocols and procedures to follow).

CNEF’s objective in the school where the project was implemented was to support the school through the provision of a quality learning environment that would enhance their learning, through construction and renovations that will also aim to meet the accessibility needs of Children with disabilities (CwDs) and also the supply of basic school materials, equipment and furniture (ex. chairs, books, pen and pencils, desks, registers, etc.).

INTERVENTION

In response to the assessment carried out previously in the school, two major interventions were carried out on the 6th of September 2022 by Cosmic Nudge Empowerment Foundation – CNEF at GDSS Dakri Damare, Girei LGA.

The first was the reconstruction of the roof of a classroom that was blown off during a heavy rain pour. This was going to be a major project as the subsequent rainfall had damaged the wood and ceiling sheets of the classroom. The School principal, Mrs. Patty Joshua Banu identified this as a burden for the school. They’ve tried every means to get this done but all to no avail. Since this is a priority for the school, CNEF took it up to support them. We got in contact with a construction firm that came and took the estimate of the damage and gave us the cost to fix it.

Funds were disbursed after due process. The firm went ahead to purchase all the required items and work began. They changed the sheet, ceiling boards that were damaged, etc. The other parts that were leaking were also mended.

On the day of commissioning, the second intervention by CNEF was the distribution of stationery to the students and members of staff. The best students in each class from every arm received a special package and had enough to take home.

The students were super excited as they couldn’t contain their joy. They rushed to have an opportunity to speak on camera; just to express their heartfelt joy about the stationeries they just received.

A few teachers also took turns expressing their appreciation to CNEF for coming around to support them. Specifically, Mr. Reuben said this was probably the first NGO that came to distribute stationery materials to them. He prayed for us to have more opportunities to serve humanity the more.

As if this was all, the principal Mrs. Patty Joshua took the microphone to also express her happiness. In her words, she said she never believed CNEF would come back to carry out the project they promised them. She said they have done all to see how the roof of that classroom can be fixed but it never came to the limelight. But our coming has given the school a facelift.

Now, the students can calmly sit down in the classroom without fear of rainfall while most of the students have extra writing materials to support the ones they had.

As a non-profit organization, we strongly believe that this project would be sustained effectively because the school authority knew how long they had stayed off the classroom, and the extent of continued dilapidation as a result of continuous rain, falling directly into the classroom. The school management also pledged to ensure that maintain the classroom to the best of their ability.

GAPS

After our intervention that covered the re-construction of damaged roofs and distribution of essential stationery; books and pens to students, other areas of need as identified from the assessment and interviews are still uncovered.

1. The unrepaired borehole.
2. Inadequate number of classrooms.
3. Lack of chairs; both in the staff room and classes.
4. Poor toilet system.
5. And the lack of a library in the school.

CHALLENGES AND LESSONS LEARNED

Challenge with road access to the place of intervention which has a huge impact on both teachers and students frequently accessing these roads and even worse during the rainy season when there is almost unlimited road access thereby hampering the education regularity been held which sometimes causes the relocation of students to other educational facilities within the school.

CONCLUSION

Cosmic Nudge Empowerment Foundation – CNEF carried out an intervention in GDSS.

RECOMMENDATION

According to two Educational SMEs, both school teachers, and one community leader KI, improving school infrastructure, building more classrooms, and providing water and school supplies such as chairs, desks, blackboards, shoes, and uniforms are needed to boost education in Girei LGA. Other areas of improvement indicated by KIs were the provision of good access roads to schools, the recruitment of additional teachers, and the holding of seminars for teachers and parents.

ADAMAWA:

1. WASH in school activities and facilities needs to be increased.
2. There is a lack of support for children living with disabilities and assistive devices including hearing aids, lenses, mobility support, and sitting facilities.
3. There are insufficient classrooms, latrines, and boreholes in some schools.
4. Climate change must be integrated into educational activities in formal schools and alternative learning centers.

REFERENCE

1. EiEWG Nigeria Joint Education Needs Assessment, November 2019: North-East Nigeria, November 2019.
2. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs – OCHA (Humanitarian Response Plan Nigeria, 2022).
3. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - OCHA (Nigeria Situation Report, December 2022).
4. REACH Nigeria; Rapid Overview of Areas of Return (ROAR) - Girei LGA, Adamawa State, Nigeria, June 2022.