Chima Azubuike, Gombe
Gombe State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Habu Dahiru on Wednesday said the state accepted the safe space programme in the state to encourage numeracy and literacy of the girl child.
Dahiru disclosed this at the presentation of 9,000 Solar radio set to school girls in Yalmatu Deba, Funakaye and Kaltungo LGA’s, which was provided by the Norwegian government and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
According to the commissioner, “Safe space programme is important to develop a girl child into womanhood and in addition into literacy and numeracy. We will continue to support this course to end malnutrition, gender violence, and promote social economic, health well being of our people.
“However, content and monitoring of programming is key in this part of the country. We must monitor the content of the programme to ensure it is not in riot with our social and cultural norms. We appreciate the cohort given to the 9,000 girls and the capacity building of our teachers as well as the mentors.
“The mentors have increased the sense of worth and confidence of our learners, we promise good usage of the product.”
Also Speaking, State Team Lead Centre for Girls’ Education Faith Bawa said the safe space programme has built the agency of girls.
“Through the episodes that have been recorded and some of the sessions that have been taught during the normal safe space before the schools were locked down will enable these girls know how to negotiate, communicate, decision making skills the students are very much interested in the programme and they will follow the radio programmes.”
Meanwhile in a statement, “This distribution of Solar Radio sets to 9000 Adolescent Girls in Gombe state, is aimed at ensuring continuous learning and education of adolescent girls enrolled in Safe Spaces programme during the COVID-19 pandemic. The nationwide closure of schools since March 19th 2020 by the Federal and States Ministries of Education, to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19, has affected the education as well as learning activities delivered through school-based safe spaces to the adolescent girls enrolled in the project.
“UNFPA’s strategy to engage adolescent girls virtually via radio broadcasted learning sessions, is designed to build their literacy and numeracy skills as well as critical life skills including reproductive health and family life education. The distributed radio sets would enable the girls have access to the radio messages, however, the coverage is state wide. These interventions serve to ensure girls are retained in school. Studies have shown that adolescent girls who receive an education are less likely to marry young and more likely to lead healthy, productive lives. They earn higher incomes, participate in decisions that affect them, and build better futures for themselves and their families.”
