Community Development: Group launches education support scheme for vulnerable pupils in Ilorin

An Ilorin-based community development group, Meadows Community and Development Outreach (MCDO), has launched a philanthropy drive and initiative to facilitate the return of out-of-school children to the classroom.

The cofounder and director of programme, Comr. Bashiru Salliu, confirmed the development in a press release forwarded to journalists in Kwara State on Thursday, November 10, 2022.

Comr. Bashiru, in the press release, noted that the team of community development practitioners launched the initiative with a drive on Thursday, October 26, 2022, where “critical beneficiaries” were identified within and around Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

Tagged: Education Support for the Less Privilege (ESPLP), the scheme aligns with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1, 2, and 4.

The statement reads in part:

“The project intends to target pupils who are vulnerable and out of school in the community.

“The project aligns with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1, 2 and 4 which focus on reducingpoverty level, zero hunger of people, and right to education for all.

“The team will take kids that are out of school back to school, pay their school fees (most especially girl child), procure school sandals, bags, uniforms, basic text books and writing materials including provision of nutritional support meal.”

The United Nations Children’s Fund, an international body working to ensure the protection of rights of children, in a recent report, estimates that about 10.5 million children aged 5-14 years are out-of-school in Nigeria, with only 61 per cent of 6–11-year-olds regularly attending primary school and only 35.6 per cent of children aged 36-59 months receiving early childhood education.

Comr. Basheer urges well meaning Nigerians, especially of Kwara extraction, as well as organizations and businesses to partner with the team to scale up impact of the project.

“MCDO intends to run the project and measure the impact for possible upscale and we are open to partnership and collaborations. 

“Interested Individuals and organizations can reach us via our email: meadowsdev@gmail.com or mobile number: 08063322756. Together, we can return more students to school to drastically reduce poverty and crime rate,” he added.