... BACK TO SCHOOL
My name is Ezekiel , a volunteer for Caprecon Development & Peace Initiatives in Nigeria ( CD- PIN ), and the lead person for the Back to School project in Delta , State , Nigeria . I and two other volunteers visited some schools in the rural areas of Ughelli town , and interviewed school heads and class teachers on some of the problems faced by their pupils . Based on the information gathered , we identified a number of children who found it difficult to cope with their academic demands and basic school needs , due to desperate hardship , loss of parents and extreme poverty . Most of the children identified were poorly dressed ; bare-footed and wearing ragged uniforms . We were able to assist those in desperate situations with notebooks , writing materials , school uniforms / vest and payment of school fees . The project was more focused on female pupils and students in line with our ethos of promoting Girl- Child Education . Similarly , we also paid school fees and presented education materials to a number of pupils from Ogoni Primary School . We hope to do the same for children in other selected schools if funds are available , courtesy of Caprecon Development Foundation , UK .
COAL-CAPRECON SANITARY OUTREACH TO IDP CAMP
The rise of insurgency in Nigeria has led to a drastic change in the lives of thousands of women and girls , and this often brings them either voluntarily or by coercion into new realities outside their original homes . While men have dis-proportionally been killed , women are an overwhelming majority among the estimated 1.8 million internally displaced persons ( IDPs ) in the North East . According to the National Emergency Management Agency ( NEMA ), there are about 325,000 Internally Displaced Persons ( IDPs ) taking refuge in various camps in Plateau State . The sad realities of their living conditions need not only the help of organizations , individuals , local and international agencies but also the need to directly put policies and programs in place to tackle the continuous attacks by insurgents as well as facilitate the importance of women ’ s contribution to lasting peace and national development in every sector . In June 2016 , COAL under the project management leadership of Ms Farida Adamu visited Stefanos Foundation IDP camp to gather nonfictional accounts of IDPs and to give out some relief and school materials to the IDps who were mostly from Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State . Our interview with the men , women and children revealed the helpless and depressing states of their displacement , the need for help and education for the children there . In recent times , it also came to our knowledge that the health and sanitary conditions of the women and children in the IDP camp needs urgent attention as most of the girls of menstruating ages and women lack access to tampons , pads and the like . Access to menstrual hygiene products is often a problem , and many women , don ’ t even know that these products exist . They use rags , pieces of cloth or paper , and these do not offer good protection . Insufficient hygiene through lack of suitable products can lead to infections and health problems – and are uncomfortable to wear . As the custodians of purity and balance in Society , women are special and relevant to the overall development of nations . Relegating their decisive role in societal development will only bring about the doom of nations . Together let ' s respect and protect their dignity . To commemorate International Women ' s Day 2017 , Caprecon in collaboration with the Custodians of African Literature COAL organized a Sanitary outreach program at Stefanos Foundation IDP camp in Jos Plateau State Nigeria . They gave health talks on hygiene and cleanliness and also distributed about 100 sanitary pads to the women and girls at the IDP camp who sometimes use cloths , rags and towels during menstruation . Together we can do more . Special thanks Dollin Holt , the Caprecon and COAL team for this laudable initiative .