No fewer than 122,050 children affected by crises in Sokoto, Katsina, and Zamfara have been enrolled in schools by Save the Children International through its ‘Education Cannot Wait’ project.

SCI programme manager Atine Lewi disclosed this during a three-day training in Kaduna, organised for journalists from Katsina and Adamawa. According to her, the project, which runs from October 2024 to February 2026, targets children aged six to 18 who have been displaced or affected by insecurity.

She added that the project aims to provide inclusive, high-quality education and protection services, ensuring that every child, regardless of gender or disability, has access to safe learning environments.

Ms Lewi explained that the enrolment and literacy achievements marked a significant milestone in the organisation’s effort to reduce the number of out-of-school children in the North.

“SCI, with support from ECW, had enrolled the children into school and supported them with literacy and numeracy skills to help them reintegrate fully into formal education. We are ensuring that every child affected by the crisis gets a second chance to learn”, the SCI official said.

According to her, the project focuses on inclusive education, ensuring that boys, girls, and children with disabilities all benefit equally.

She said that it also supports the establishment of Temporary Learning Centres and Alternative Learning Spaces where learners receive catch-up classes and psychosocial support before transitioning into mainstream schools.

Ms Lewi explained that SCI was working closely with the Federal Ministry of Education, State Universal Basic Education Boards, and community-based organisations to strengthen sustainability and local ownership systems.

According to her, the project had trained 954 teachers, mostly women, in gender-responsive and inclusive teaching methods to promote safer, more effective classroom engagement.

“Nearly half of the enrolled learners are girls, showing significant progress toward achieving gender balance in school enrolment. Additionally, 52 mentors have been trained to support adolescent girls with leadership, confidence-building, and life skills under the project’s adolescent empowerment programme.

“We’re not only sending children to school, we’re building an environment where teachers, parents, and communities can sustain education beyond the project’s life,” Ms Lewi said.

She stated that under the disability inclusion component, 371 children living with disabilities had received assistive devices to aid their mobility and learning, while 161 others have been provided with tailored educational support.

(NAN)