iLEAD Fellowship

iLEAD Students at Government Day Secondary School (G.S.S.), Karo, are leveraging the peace in the unity occasioned by sporting activities to tackle gender-based issues in their school and community. At Government Day Secondary School (G.D.S.S.), Karo female students face systemic discrimination from fellow students.

They explain that both genders are not treated equally. One of the main areas they are greeted with gender discrimination is sporting activities. They noted that they are being deprived of joining their male counterparts in sporting activities daily during their lunch breaks. While there are no rules in the school that stop them from participating, these iLEAD students believe that the lack of adequate sporting facilities is mainly responsible for this societal anomaly. "We know that females too can participate and become great in sports," - Amidat.

However, this might only be a dream unfulfilled if there are no facilities in the school that encourage female participation in sporting activities. After considering the negative impact of gender-based discrimination, iLEAD students of G.D.S.S. identified a simple solution: to donate a complete Table Tennis Board to the school. One of our leadership and life skills curriculum modules is the Art & Act of Leadership; here, students are taught how to identify a problem and find possible solutions regardless of their age, location, gender, etc.

Amidat, an iLEAD student at G.D.S.S., tells us that they want to stop gender discrimination in their school. She envisions a community where everyone is seen as a person and not from a gender lens.

 "Our main aim of doing this table tennis board is that we want to stop gender discrimination in our school".

The change project is a component of the iLEAD Programme, which encourages and empowers students to identify a problem, ideate within a group, and provide solutions to social issues in their community. They convinced the school principal to get her buy-in and request the school hall (which has been left moribund) as a room for playing the game. They independently sourced funds from individuals and corporate bodies to purchase a standard table tennis court.

Also, they canvassed support from other relevant school stakeholders, like the sport master, to ensure that everyone is carried along in purchasing a complete standard table tennis board. Finally, the students were able to buy a table tennis board. Playing this table tennis game means that over 40 female students at G.D.S.S. will no longer be marginalised in this sporting activity. Currently, the table tennis game serves both males and females. Indirectly, this change project is a way for female students to amplify their voices against gender discrimination and encourage more females to be engaged equally.

Similarly, the table tennis court is symbolic of gender equity within the school. The intrinsic notion here is that if leadership and life skills are embedded in the curriculum of secondary schools, it will impact their contributions to efforts in achieving the S.D.G.s and nation-building. Essentially, young people in schools can become change agents in their communities if deliberate actions create an atmosphere that constantly influences the right decision innovatively.

LEAP Africa has empowered young people and teachers in public secondary schools through the iLEAD Fellowship in Abuja for two years. With your partnership, more students will be mentored to become change agents.