Project title: Provision and possible sustainability of Quality Education for the displaced persons in Kwami LGA of Gombe State, Nigeria

Introduction:

Gombe state is one of the north eastern states affected by insurgency crisis which has resulted to large number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the state who came in from various states, in other to meet the educational need of the IDPs in Kwami LGA of Gombe State, USAID Nigeria with Creative Associates International in collaboration with Foundation for Youth Awakening and Empowerment implemented Education Response Crisis (ECR) for project year three (PY3). The project which is aimed at expanding access to quality education and protective education for internally displaced out-of-school children from the ages 6 to 17, as a well as out-of-school children in host communities, including those who are physically challenged focuses on increasing access to quality education to IDPs and out of school children in the host community.

Throughout the project period USAID’s Education Crises Response has provided basic literacy for non formal education to over 800(eight hundred) IDPs, and Host Communities out of School Children, the children who were Internally Displaced and out-of-school children which were enrolled in 16 (sixteen) learning centers spread across educationally disadvantaged communities in Kwami LGA.

The project targeted children between ages 5-13 for NFLC and GLCs while 14-17 years for AGLCs and YLCs, at the beginning of the project learning facilitators were identify and trained from the community members as to teach Social emotional skills, Numeracy, Basic literacy and English language.

During the eleven-month program, children attended classes for a minimum of six hours every week and received textbooks developed by the project dignity kits and other writing materials to aid their learning.

Further more out of the 16 learning centers established 10 are non-formal leaning centers, 2 are Youth leaning centers, 2 Adolescent leaning centers, 2 Girl leaning centers and 2 community coalition were form in Kwami West and East advocacy and community mobilization were carryout, engaging of stakeholders, community rulers in various activities.

At the course of the project Foundation for Youth Awakening and Empowerment as sub grantee in the project monitored the project closely and ensured that all project aim and objectives were achieved, this report present summary of the activities that transpired during the project period.

Advocacy and Community Mobilization

In other to educate community members on the importance of education and equip them with the project goals, The project activities started with advocacy visits on the 6^th of October ,2016, among those visited are key stakeholders, including government and non-government actors, within and around the communities to sensitize them on the project and the need to own and support it and also strengthen and support the existing Community Coalitions (CCs) to own the project and carry out more advocacies and sensitizations in the communities to support the children in the learning centers.

The advocacy also involved Learning facilitators, Community Coalitions, Traditional rulers, Religious leaders, Local Government Education Secretary, and Head of ESD in the local government; experiences were shared, gaps identified and solutions proffered by all.

FOYAE paid advocacy visits to all the traditional in the host communities and, once more, explained the project. All traditional rulers and other influential persons in the host communities and around them were paid advocacy with a convincing message. Members of the host communities were thoroughly sensitized with the aim of making them front liners in the project implementation

Selection and Training of learning facilitators

Fourteen learning facilitators were selected and a step down training was organized for them, Mentors teachers and SG were also part of the training which enlighten participant on the new improvement in the teaching program. The training took place between 13^th -18^th October 2016 at Mallam Sidi Central Primary School Kwami, the master trainer in person of Mr Adamu Puma and others were able to guide the seven days step down.

Table 1 shows list of learning facilitators selected

Enrollment of learner

Learners were selected according to age in the program as follows

NFLC- 6 to 13 ages, AGLC – 14-17 ages, YLC- 14 -17ages, GLC- 6-13 ages. A total of 700 learners were enrolled in the 14 learning centers but due to the overflow of non enrolled children, two more learning centers were opened in Kwami and Malam Sidi by the SG (FOYAE) in collaboration with the CC in order to reduce the overflow and overcrowding which have a major problem to LFs With the addition of the two LCs the total number of LC is now 16 with about 800 learners,50 learners per Learning Center.base on the enrolment statistic indicate that 90% of the learners enrolled are IDPs while the remaining 10% are from the host community as shown in the figure below

Table showing Enrollment statistics

Table showing Enrolment statistics base on IDPs and Host Communities

One of the challenges faced during the project implementation was the problem of over flow of learners in the learning centers and to tackle these challenges tow addition centers were created by the sub grantees in collaboration with the Community Coalitions, the new centers created are;

1. NFLC Mallam Sidi
2. NFLC Kwami

Making centers to be 16 learning centers, the table below shows the enrolment at the end of the project.

Table showing Enrollment statistics

Commencement of Classes

Classes started immediately after the training of learning facilitators. A learning facilitator has nine (9) hours in a week where start class from 2-5pm based on the contact days on his/her time-table. The learners were taught Literacy or Reading, Numeracy, and SEL within three hour an hour for each subject respectively.

Procurement and distribution of items

The process of procurement begins with formation of five-man procurement committee headed by the finance officer Rahila S. Lamiya (Mrs). Bids and quotation were received from different vendors and were analyzed. The best was selected and procurement of the following was done for learning centers – Buckets (14), cups (700), Jugs (700) and others. Dignity kits were also procured, the items contained in the kit included; Jordan tooth brush, close up toothpaste, Vaseline, Dettol soap, Slippers, and sanitary pads for AGLCs. More so, at the cause of the project scholastic materials were procured and distributed to the learners by SG (FOYAE) and ECR.

The items were distributed according to the learners enrolled in each centre.

• Skills Acquisition Training

• In order to help the learners to be self reliant and also help the families, about 200 Adolescent Girls in AGLCs and Boys in YLCs were taught some income generating skills in addition to the academic training. The skills learnt by the learners included; groundnut oil making, Tailoring, Doughnut making, Cake making, Soap making, Pomade making, Noodles and local spaghetti(taliya) making for AGLCs and Shoe making,Tailoring, Soap making and Liquid Soap making and many more for YLCs. The aim of the skills acquisition training is self reliance, improving household income and source of livelihood of the family. During the last skills acquisition exhibition/display there were evidences that the learners were trained and equipped for action.
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• Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E)

Monitoring and evolution for PY3 began on the 9^th of October 2016 with the monitoring of enrolment of new learners in the various learning centers.

Throughout the entire period of the project Monitoring and evaluation officer use to visited each center twice or more per month and report to ECR specialist status of the learning centers and also report attendance of learners weekly.

During Monitoring special attaintion were given to to inventory record, enrollment register, service forms, attendance register, assessment record, school diary, time book, visitor’s book, health register, and mentor teacher log book. More so other things cheeked at the centers are NFE bench mark compliance, safety, welfare and classroom environment and many more

Capacity Building Training

FOYAE staff received trainings on capacity building in Bauchi, Yankari, and Adamawa. The staffers’ capacity was greatly built and improved as a result of ECR project in many ways which included; Project management, Resource Mobilization Community mobilization, Financial management and Data management etc.

Continuous Assessment Tests

In order to evaluate the performance of learners to see whether they are catching up with what they have been taught, continuous assessment tests were prepared by ANFEA and is been administered to the learners by the LF in an interval of three-three months. Each C.A Test carries 10% where as the end of project examination attracts 70%.

End of Project Examination

As another way of evaluating the performance of the learners an end of project examination had been carried out to assess the level of their understanding of the lessons given. The examination was set by ANFEA and administered by the LFs with the SG representative who monitored it. The examination has so far been marked by the LFs and submitted to the appropriate quota for further actions.

Items donated by Foundation for Youth Awakening and Empowerment to ECR Project

Foundation for Youth Awakening and Empowerment has contributed in both cash, kind and in materials items as a sub grantee in one way or the other at the course of the project.

Items donated by FOYEA to ECR Project

 Challenges:

at the course of the project the following challenges were experience and various steps were taken to tackle the challenges experienced.

• At the start up of the project learners are not coming to the learning centers on time.
• Challenge late arrival of of scholastic materials in the learning center
• Overflow of learners come late to the centers
• WASH problems in most of the learning centers
• Raining season bringing distortion to time table.
• Encouraging Learning facilitators to be flexible with commencement of class.

Step taking to solve the problem mention

• Advocacy visit was organized to care givers and village head of Gaji Bauchi other communities
• Procurement and distribution of learning material by FOYAE
• Two more centers were established by by the Sub grante in collaboration with community coalition
• In collaboration with ECR, SG and community coalition local Toilet fertilities were provided in all areas in need of WASH.