Girls Day: 1883 girls in FCT benefit from UKAid programme
Over 1880 FCT girls have benefitted from the Educating Nigerian Girls in New Enterprise (ENGINE II), a UKAid funded project that has helped out-of-school girls and other adolescent girls go back to school.
The Executive Director, Tabitha Cumi Foundation, Mrs Tayo Erinle, who made this known in Abuja during the ENGINE II closeout dissemination event on the International Day of the Girl Child with the theme, "My Voice, Our Equal Future" said, the Mercy Corps implemented programme recorded great successes in Abuja communities where there were direct and indirect beneficiaries of the programme.
She said even as the programme winds off, they have sustainability plan on ground already as the
National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education (NMEC) and Agency for Mass Education that partnered with them have adopted most of the learning centres and they are carrying on from where they stopped so that the girls would not withdraw but forge ahead in their studies, businesses, and skills acquisitions.
The programme coordinator, ENGINE II, Joy Aderele who said Mercy Corps and its partners were proud to join their voices in marking the special day of the girl child added that the successful implementation of ENGINE II programme has transformed the lives of over 18,000 marginalised girls and young women within the ages of 17 to 23 across Kano, Kaduna, Lagos, and FCT by addressing key barriers, norms, and practices that promote inequalities.
Also, another Abuja based non-governmental organisation, Helpline Foundation for the Needy, has concluded plans to launch a book titled; "My COVID-19 Story - Voice of Hope and Resilience" to celebrate the girl-child.
Addressing a press conference as part of activities to celebrate this year’s International Day of the Girl Child, President of Helpline Foundation for the Needy, Dr. Jumai Ahmadu, said the book would be officially unveiled today Monday.
She noted that due to the high reports of child rights abuse recorded during the COVID-19 lockdown, the foundation has tasked girls to write down their experiences, challenges, and aspirations which have been compiled into a book and would be launched on Monday.