IT TAKES A COMMUNITY TO BUILD A LIBRARY
In May last year, when the Executive Director of Keeping It Real (KIR) Foundation and the Coordinator of our implementing partner CDM Foundation visited CDM Primary School Lila in Mubi Hills, we were quite impressed with the stakeholder commitment of the Parents Teachers Association in ensuring that the school continues to expand to accommodate the growing and long-term needs of the community.
Therefore; it did not come as a surprise to the KIR Foundation Team, when we were informed by the Coordinator of CDM Foundation that the students and the PTA of CDM Primary School Lila had decided to embark on the construction of a community library. According to Miss Naomi the former Assistant Head Teacher of the School, who is currently the Head Teacher, “The students and teachers were inspired by the support received from KIR Foundation in the form of textbooks, desks and bookshelves for the Reading Corner, we wanted a library that could be accessed by everyone in the community even after school hours and we felt KIR Foundation had already done enough for the school, so we decided to build the community library on our own”.
The teachers and the students raised money from the proceeds of the sales of farm products from the school farm and part of the school fees and bought the materials for the construction of the library. The parents dug the foundation of the library structure and the students and teachers completed the building of the library. KIR Foundation is truly proud of the dedication of our beneficiaries to breaking the cycle of poverty through education.
Kenneth and Zion students of the school who contributed immensely to the building of the library, said they are excited about the new library, because they love to read and learn. The presence of the library creates an opportunity for them to access books that their parents cannot afford to buy. Now, they can stay back in the library to read after school. The teachers are also happy, because they can do their research in the library. The Chairman of the PTA expressed his delight about the new library because it is an invaluable resource for the community for generations to come.
Dear donors, the new Library would not have been built if you did not invest in the purchase of the books, desks and bookshelves for the Reading Corner. The presence of the library has created a Lterary Hub which will boost literary moral and encourage a strong reading culture among the children, their parents and the community. The involvement of the community in this project, ensures that the project will remain sustainable after KIR Foundation has long gone. In UNESCO Public Library Manifesto 1994; it is stated that, “The public library, the local gateway to knowledge, provides a basic condition for lifelong learning, independent decision-making and cultural development of the individual and social groups.” Therefore, the importance of the Community Library which is currently the only library on the Hills of Mubi North Local Government Area cannot be overemphasised.
Thank you, once again dear donors, for your continued support. However, the toddlers in CDM Nursery School Gilmari need our support, because they do not have desks to sit on and are presently sitting on the floor. Also, we need your support to complete the flooring, fix the windows and roof the CDM Primary School Project in Lainde. Your investment is breaking the cycle of poverty by providing quality education for our rural beneficiaries. Please visit www.kirfoundation.org to learn more about us.
We have come a long way since last year and your investments have inspired a community to take their destiny into their own hands and leave a tangible legacy for generations to come. However, we still need $34,929 to ensure that the project is finished on time. Kindly consider becoming a recurring donor, encourage your friends, family, and colleagues to do the same and donate to https://goto.gg/26980. All donations are tax-deductible for U.S. taxpayers to the full extent permitted by the law.
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INSPIRING NEWS FROM MUBIL HILLS!
It is precisely one year since the Keeping It Real(KIR) Foundation team visited the following adopted schools in Mubi Hills in Adamawa State; CDM Primary School, Lila, CDM Primary School Lainde, and CDM Nursery School Gilmari. After that visit, we wrote about our observations and desire to build the education infrastructure of the communities. We informed you our dear donors that the communities require basic physical infrastructure---classrooms, toilets, playgrounds---to create a safe learning environment for the pupils, as well as giving learning materials to the teachers so that they can provide quality education. Thank you so much for responding and we are most grateful to our recurring donor too.
Last year May, the Keeping It Real(KIR) Foundation team metCalmas, Goldiya and their school mates when the KIR Foundation team visited their school; CDM Primary School Lainde in Mubi Hills in Adamawa State. At that time, they were learning under a tree with a few rickety benches and this affected their school attendance, because when the weather was too hot, or it rained they could not attend school. Due to your magnanimous investment, the construction of the classroom block is now at the roofing stage. The Chairman of the PTA; MrShawa expressed his profound gratitude to you donors for constructing a safer and more conducive environment for learning for Calmas, Goldiya and their schoolmates. Also, he pleaded with you dear donors to assist in finishing the classroom block. The classroom block needs to be fitted with doors, windows, desks and has to be floored for it to be completed.
Furthermore, the Chairman of the PTA of CDM Primary School, Lila, Mr Grody, also thanked you our wonderful donors, he said; “The desks that were donated have delivered our children from sitting on bare floor, the text books have enhanced the learning ability of the children and even the bookshelves where they keep the books have provided ultimate protection for the books so that they can continue using them for a long time. All of the items are extremely useful, and we shall forever be grateful to those who have made life easier and better for our little ones, God bless you!”
We are so elated and relieved to inform you that our little toddlers in CDM Nursery School Gilmari are no longer learning under the makeshift zinc and bamboo structure. We appreciate the efforts of the Head Teacher Polycarp, who coordinated the stakeholder community involvement by getting the parents to mould 750 blocks, fetch water and provide labour for the construction of the classroom block. A classroom block has been completed for them with donations from local donors who heard about the commitment of the parents and decided to do a fundraising during Christmas. The children are currently safely ensconced from the weather and insects and can now attend and stay in school despite inclement weather conditions. However, they do not have desks to sit on and are presently sitting on the floor.
Indeed, dear donors, together, we have come a long way since last year. Your investments have made learning fun, interactive, life changing and possibly life saving for our beneficiaries. According to a report released last year by UNESCO, 264 million children around the world lack access to education. However, we believe that number could even be higher if not for the investments of donors like you!
Nonetheless, we are very certain that with your continuous investment we can reduce the number of children around the world who lack access to education. However, we still need $34,929 to ensure that the project is finished on time. Kindly consider becoming a recurring donor and donate to the https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/educate-270-children-in-northern-nigeria/ and please encourage your friends, family, and colleagues to do the same. All donations are tax-deductible for U.S. taxpayers to the full extent permitted by the law. Your donations will help us break the cycle of poverty by providing quality education for our rural beneficiaries. Also visit our website www.kirfoundation.org to learn more about us.
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THE CHILDREN ARE BACK TO SCHOOL
In the week of the International Book Giving Day, 14th of February 2018, Keeping It Real (KIR) Foundation donated 991 recommended textbooks on the different subjects to the three CDM primary schools in Adamawa State and 260 textbooks to the primary school in Niger State in Northern Nigeria for the new academic session. That week, there was a palpable air of excitement, the students were jubilant, and the teachers were extremely happy. Why this excitement? According, to James, the Coordinator of CDM Primary Schools, the reason for the excitement is because it has been 12 years, since the three schools received the last donation of relevant textbooks required to teach the children. Also, according, to Romanus, the Coordinator of the primary school in Niger State; “We got textbooks for the school four years ago and they were for the teachers alone. This time, both the teachers and the pupils received textbooks, the students have never owned a book before. The donation of the books will make learning very participatory and improve the quality of education. We are so happy and thankful!”. For most of the children this was their first time of touching a textbook. Thank you, donors, for making going back to school exciting, participatory and worthwhile for our beneficiaries.
One of the major barriers children in poor countries like our beneficiaries in these remote schools in Northern Nigeria face to access education is lack of textbooks. In most cases, the students have to share outdated and worn textbooks or like this particular case they have none, that is why the students and teachers were so excited to receive the textbooks that your generous donation provided. Workbooks, exercise sheets, readers and other core materials that help students learn their lessons are still in short supply. Also, the teachers need materials to help prepare their lessons to share with their students and guide their lessons. We are so grateful that with your kind support we are investing in the future of our beneficiary communities. Research by Global Partnership on Education suggests that increasing access to education overall positive impact on health, economic growth and can even combat climate change. Since 2011, KIR Foundation has donated over 15,251 books and provided numerous educational supplies/writing materials, computers, and accessories to our beneficiaries, including those with disabilities in seven States in Nigeria. Your continued investment will enable us to provide critical tools for students and teachers in underserved and poor communities.
We especially thank our recurring donor whose unrelenting support has helped us to provide these textbooks. When KIR Foundation visited the adopted schools in May 2017, we realized that school enrolment in these rural areas were low, not because of cultural issues but because of poverty. We know that with more donations from donors that invest in education, we can fund the future of more children in rural communities. In our December report, it was recorded that your donation has led to an increase in enrolment from 270 to 449 in the four (4) primary schools. In this new term, the enrolment is now about 499. Dear friends, since we started on this journey, a year ago we have made a lot of progress. Nevertheless, we are very certain that with your constant investment we can create a better future for our beneficiaries and their communities. However, we still need of $35,029 to ensure that the project is finished on time. In CDM Primary School Lainde, Mubi Local Government Area in Adamawa State, the construction work for a block of classrooms has reached Lintel level. Great news! As regards, the toddlers at CDM Nursery School Gilmari Mubi Local Government a local group did a fundraising for the classroom project and construction has commenced.
Kindly consider becoming a recurring donor and donate to the https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/educate-270-children-in-northern-nigeria/ and please encourage your friends, family, and colleagues to do the same. All donations are tax-deductible for U.S. taxpayers to the full extent permitted by the law. Your donations will help us break the cycle of poverty by providing quality education for our rural beneficiaries. Also visit our website www.kirfoundation.org to learn more about us.
Once again from all of us at Keeping It Real (KIR) Foundation, Happy and Prosperous New Year!
With profound gratitude,
Bitebo Gogo
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Dear Friends,
In September 2017, Keeping It Real (KIR) Foundation provided educational supplies for the new academic session to the three primary schools in Adamawa State and one primary school in Niger State in Nigeria. Mai’uguwa and Koro, parents of two of the children in Ethnosreach Primary School, Ma’zumari, Niger State had this to say, “We thank the leaders and people who sent books, biros and other things for our children. The school materials have given our children new joy to go to school. We are very happy and it is only God that will bless you”.
Also, Menayi, a primary six pupil in Ethnosreach Primary School, Ma’zumari with big dreams said; “I am very happy for the materials Keeping It Real Foundation sent to us. I now have notebooks for all my subjects”. A community representative and parents from Gilmari, Lainde, and Laila of Mubi Hills Local Government in Adamawa State expressed their gratitude to Keeping It Real Foundation through an interpreter for the donation of the books, desks and educational support to the schools. Furthermore, Comfort, the headmistress in CDM Primary School Laila, on behalf of her colleagues and the children thanked Keeping It Real (KIR) Foundation for the books, shelves, educational supplies, desks and for all that has been done for the children.
We express our heartfelt gratitude to every donor who has invested their hard earned money to ensure the education of disadvantaged children in North-Eastern Nigeria. We especially thank our recurring donor whose unrelenting support has enabled us give exercise books, drawing books, sharpeners, pens, pencils and mathematical sets; thereby ensuring that the children have the resources they need to learn effectively in the new school term.
When KIR Foundation visited the adopted schools in May 2017, we realized that school enrollment in these rural areas were low, not because of cultural issues but because of poverty. We believe that our beneficiaries can receive quality education if supported by donors who are interested in investing in education. In our last report, it was recorded that your donation enabled KIR Foundation to invest in the education of underserved and disadvantaged children in the four (4) primary schools.
So far, because of donations from friends like you, the number of children in the schools has increased from two hundred and seventy (270) to four hundred and forty-nine (449) children. The provision of these educational supplies has aided the retention of the children in these schools.
Dear friends, we have made some progress, however we are quite confident that with your continued support we will be able to empower our beneficiaries to shape their own destinies and change their communities. To attain our goals for the children, we are still in need of $35,489 to ensure that the project is concluded on time. In CDM Primary School Lainde, Mubi Local Government Area in Adamawa State, the construction work for a block of classrooms has started. The foundation has been laid but it was put on hold due to the rains and lack of funds. The toddlers at CDM Nursery School Gilmari Mubi Local Government Area urgently need your intervention to move to a better learning space rather than the shanty structure they are currently learning in.
Kindly consider making an end of the year donation to the https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/educate-270-children-in-northern-nigeria/ and please encourage your friends, family, and colleagues to do the same. All donations are tax-deductible for U.S. taxpayers to the full extent permitted by the law. On December 19th, 2017 from 00:00:00 EDT until 23:59:59 EDT, our project Educate 270 Children in Northern Nigeria will have GlobalGiving Homepage time. We encourage you to become a recurring donor to help us break the cycle of poverty by providing quality education for our rural beneficiaries.
There is so much we are grateful for as 2017 comes to a close. We are humbled and honored to provide educational support to the children and communities in Adamawa and Niger States in Nigeria. We will continue to strive towards our central objective of inspiring change through learning so that we can transform the lives of our beneficiaries.
From all of us at Keeping It Real (KIR) Foundation, have a happy Christmas and a prosperous 2018 in advance.
With profound gratitude,
Bitebo Gogo
Executive Director / Project Leader, Keeping It Real (KIR) Foundation
Dear Donor and Friend,
In February, Keeping It Real (KIR) Foundation adopted three (3) primary schools in Mubi Hills in Adamawa State and one (1) primary school in Niger State in Nigeria. According to UNESCO, “Northern Nigeria has the highest Child illiteracy rate in the country”. One of the major barriers to school enrollment and retention in Northern Nigeria is the lack of educational supplies. This project will enable over 270 primary school children in rural Northern Nigeria receive educational supplies like text books, exercise books, writing materials, storybooks, and establish reading corners. Also, the project will provide teaching resources for the teachers.
This September, all the children in the four (4) schools like Gloria Ibrahim, a pupil of CDM Primary School Lainde will go back to school with educational supplies. Your donation enables KIR Foundation to invest in the education of underserved and disadvantaged children in the four (4) schools. So far, because of donations from friends like you, the number of children in the schools has increased from two hundred and seventy (270) to four hundred and forty-nine (449) children. The provision of educational supplies will promote the retention of these pupils in the schools.
In this project report, dear donor, KIR Foundation is happy to share with you the milestones you have enabled us accomplish since our last project report for the ‘Educate 270 Children in Northern Nigeria’ Project ; https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/educate-270-children-in-northern-nigeria/.
Below is a summary of the project activities that your donations have enabled us to accomplish;
In CDM Primary School Laila, Mubi Local Government with your support, we purchased thirty (30) classroom desks, three (3) library desks and two (2) bookshelves for the reading corner. Also, a classroom block has been renovated.
The construction work for a block of classrooms has started in CDM Primary School Lainde, Mubi Local Government. Presently, the foundation has been laid. However, the construction work had to stop because of the rains. Although, in preparation to continue the work after the rains stop, several cement blocks have been molded. The parents of the children have supported the project by providing labour, sand and water to the project as stakeholders of the project.
We could not commence the construction of the classroom block for the forty-three (43) pupils of CDM Nursery School Gilmari where the children are currently learning under a makeshift structure because of insufficient funds.
So far, we have received $10,707 out of an estimated budget of $46,461. We are immensely grateful for the donations that have come in. However, we need your support to complete the project.
We have provided fifty (50) units of classroom desks to Ethnosreach Primary School Ma'zumuari, Niger State. Also, we have renovated all the classrooms in the school. We are delighted to inform you that our implementing partner Ethnosreach International Ministry used their initiative to paint the school classrooms.
According to National Population Commission (2012), out of the estimated 170 million Nigerians, 67% live in the rural areas. Most of the rural communities lack basic infrastructure such as good roads, electricity, health facilities and schools. The lack of infrastructure in rural areas has led to poor quality education and increase in poverty.
Dear donor, when we invest in the education of children in rural communities, we invest in the development of the communities and make the world a better and safer place to live in.
Thank you for rebuilding the lives of underserved and disadvantaged children in rural North –Eastern Nigeria through Education!
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