FACILITY FOR ELARA STUDY CENTRE - TRAIN 200 GIRLS

Most solidarity Saturday beneficiaries are secondary school girls who attend public schools with poor facilities and some who cannot attend school. Recently we identified that we could improve the program by introducing basic computer skills. We identified this gap through interacting with them during the personal academic coaching program. The girls who attend the formative activities at Elara Study Centre identified this as a need and decided to organize a computer acquisition skills session starting in May 2022.

So far, we have had two sessions. Some girls needed to learn the basics, like identifying the various parts of the computer and how to use them. A few others went further into the use of basic computer applications. In all, peer mentors at Elara engaged them through a personalized approach, adapting to the needs of each one.

This experience has enriched the girls who volunteer to run the Solidarity Saturday program. Experiencing a significant learning gap with their peers helps them be more aware of their opportunities. Subsequently, some of them have decided to join the organizing team to facilitate the organization of Solidarity Saturdays.

This construction project is to build a permanent site for NAWA’s project - Elara Study Centre. The facility will serve as a location to groom and give formation to about 200 children ranging from 8-17 years, annually.

We have been able to secure a residential property on a cushioned payment plan. The building will be renovated and modified to adapt to the needs of the Centre.

Thanks to your generous donations we have been able to complete the architectural plan of construction, obtain some of the permissions required by the state government and complete the contractors' bidding process.

The estimated cost to purchase the property, complete the project renovations and installation, rose from $800,000USD to $1,000,000USD as a result of the consequences of inflation. Between December 2020 and January 2022 we have fundraised $75,000USD: $10,000 on GlobalGiving and $65,000 through other channels. We have attached some pictures of the building in its current state and will keep you updated on its progress.

SOLIDARITY SATURDAYS

At Elara Study Centre, we continue to expose our girls to the reality of the marginalized through the experiences of the Solidarity Saturdays. Every first Saturday of the month from September, we carried out the 1-1 academic coaching for the children within the Lekki environs who cannot go to school or attend schools with poor facilities. 

Each of these Saturdays has been amazing. The Elara girls were able to coordinate themselves as a team, led by a group leader and prepared adequate material to tutor their peers and other younger children in Mathematics and English. 

At the end of each coaching session, the girls took note of what was taught, the progress made by each student sequel to evaluation, and areas of improvement. With this information, we are  able to prepare for the next Solidarity Saturday. 20 girls from Elara have been participating in these solidarity Saturdays and 15 students are being tutored.

These solidarity Saturdays have left some impacts on the Elara girls. They are grateful for the opportunity to give back to society. In a self-made, one of them addressed her friends about the need to spend time doing valuable things such as serving and giving back to the community. In a nutshell, they have all discovered that one gets more enriched when they help the others. 

STARS - Students Taking Active Responsibility in Society 

We are also happy to inform you that our leadership series kicked off on Saturday, September 24th 2021. The Leadership series is a monthly training on leadership skills culminating in an Annual Certificate program. 

The two series we've had so far have been fun-filled and enriching for the young girls. The first one was on Personal Branding and Identity, and the October session was on Time Management. In each of the leadership sessions, we had about 16 girls in attendance.

It is incredible to see how these series have helped their self-awareness and in building a life project. Some of the tips they learnt from the leadership sessions have been applied directly in the solidarity Saturdays, such as planning, time management and knowledge of temperaments (in the case of carrying out group works). 

We hope to reach more girls, but we are already overshooting our limits with the facility available. 

We are very grateful for your donations and hope to keep counting on your help and support to make the new Elara project a reality to train more girls who can serve as catalysts of societal transformation.