The Non-Governmental Association for Literacy Support Service (NOGALSS) in partnership with the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation(UNESCO) targets the empowerment of 10,000 women and girls in its project.
Mr Noah Emmanuel, NOGALSS President, made this known during an advocacy visit to the Director FCT Department of Mass Education, Hajiya Hajarat Alayande, on the Spotlight Initiative project in Abuja.
According to Emmanuel, the project is aimed at providing accelerated second chance education and livelihood skills for out of school girls and young women facing marginalisation in Nigeria.
He said that NOGALSS in collaboration with UNESCO will embark on the Spotlight Initiative, it is a Global, Multi-Year Partnership between the European Union and the United Nations.
“EU-UN Spotlight Initiative is targeting a minimum of 10,000 women and girls, some of whom may wish to mainstream to the formal school system.
He added that the initiative was focusing on eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls and was launched in September 2017 by the UN Secretary -General, the European Union Representative and the Vice President of Nigeria.
“NOGALSS is engaged in the project at FCT, Ebonyi and Adamawa states and it is mandated to provide for the implementation of the Non-Formal Education component of the project.
“The second phase of the spotlight initiative is to reach out to women and girls with literacy, numeracy, remedial programmes and provide livelihood skills to address the yearnings of rural women and girls, who wish to acquire skills for economic empowerment.”
Emmanuel, therefore, appealed to the Director FCT Department of Mass Education(DME), to support the project to exceed the targeted number of projected beneficiaries .
He also asked the department to help in providing mobility for advocacy, monitoring and evaluation.
He asked for the provision of more learners’ materials and other information leaflets ,take over the ownership of the learning centres implemented by DME for sustainability of the project among others .
Dr Stephen Onyekwelu, Spotlight Project Manager , UNESCO, commended the Director DME, for her support during the first phase of the project and renewed the call for further support for the second phase of the project .
“NOGALSS apart from what they did under the phase one, is now onboard for the second phase to provide accelerated second chance education .
“We specifically chose the NGO because by their mandate, they are working to promote literacy and so UNESCO felt they should be the organisation to drive the process.
“They are working in FCT, Ebonyi and Adamawa states, to provide the same service.
“So I am here to join NOGALSS, to appeal for your support, they are reaching out to 10,000 women and girls in the three states, and. sustainability is important too,” he said
Alayande commended UNESCO and NOGALSS for the initiative and pledged her support for the project.
Alayande said that the department had supported the first phase of the project that achieved the training of 6045 women and girls.
She said that the department would work with traditional and faith based leaders to ensure that the project was successful.(NAN)
*PHOTO: NOGALSS Members during their advocacy visit to DME in Abuja
