How GEP3, G4G Influence Social Lives Of Rural Communities

By Muhammad Ibrahim, Sokoto

Apparently miffed by the accelerating statistics of out of school children in Nigeria, particularly in the northern part of the country, the United Nations Children’s Fund has embarked on a number of revolving innovative strategies to tackle the age-long trend.

One of such problem solving innovative is the Girls’ Education Project 3 ( GEP3). With the introduction of the Project, UNICEF believes that significant progress would be made in not only reducing the disparity ration of enrollment of boys and girls in schools, but also engender a more positive view of western education on the part of parents, especially in rural communities in the region.

The project,funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the United Kingdom, and implemented by UNICEF in dive plus one northern states of Katsina,Zamfara,Niger,Sokoto,Bauchi and Kano,is primarily aimed at getting school-age-girls to school with neglecting boys enrollment ( Francis Sardauna).

UNICEF, through the GEP3,has a target returning at least one million girls to school in order to complete their basic education and acquire skills for life and livelihoods (enrollment, completion and learning) as well as improve capacity building for teachers to deliver learning for the girls improved governance to strengthen girl education in the country.

It was against this backdrop the Bauchi state SUBEB in collaboration with UNICEF undertook a media tour to some three local government areas in Sokoto.

At Achida in Wurno LGA,while at Junior Secondary School, a JSS 2 student,explained to newsmen how GEP3 and G4G transformed her social lifestyle.

She said it was through this medium she learnt how to interact with members of the society and also how to face her studies accordingly adding that through her lifestyle many of her pair returned to school.

She also explained how she takes care of her menstrual hygiene and assist others as well.

While in one of the integrated Islamiyya schools, the media learnt that a lot of the students from the communities who attended the school obtain high level of education.

In all, series of developments were experienced through GEP3 and G4G.