Educate 270 Children in Northern Nigeria

THE CHILDREN ARE BACK TO SCHOOL

In the week of the International Book Giving Day, 14^th 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 In most cases, the students have to share outdated and worn textbooks or like this particular case they have none, that is why the students and teachers were so excited to receive the textbooks that your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

Links:

• Organizational Website

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

• Educate 270 Children in Northern Nigeria Update (PDF)