Arm the Child:Summer School for IDPs

There are different types of people in the world today; the observers, the fixers and the commentators. However, the possibility of being the three as toxic or impossible as it may seem, will bring needed progress.

Children in Internally Displaced Person's Camps clearly did not choose the life that they are living, circumstances laid it upon their chests. However, the rights of these children remain unchanged. Nothing should differentiate them from children living in the comfort of their homes especially in terms of enjoyment of their rights. The post today seeks to highlight a laudable initiative by Nigerian Youths led by Damak Shuwargwe who are taking on the challenge to be three in one. That is, observers, fixers and commentators.

The Arm the Child Project supported by the Evergreen Initiative and the Goal Initiative is set to bridge the educational gap occasioned by the displacement of these children.

THE CHALLENGE.
Amidst some of the challenges confronting Nigeria, is the existence of a high number of internally displaced persons stemming majorly from the Boko Haram insurgency in the North, and partly as a result of the existence of many other forms of conflicts in different regions of Nigeria. More than 50% of these internally displaced persons are children, who suffer the absence of the warmth of a home, a community to identify with, and no longer have access to education as a result of their current predicament. Wendy Copp noted that “where educational deprivation exists, it breeds conflict and enables repression”. This in its entirety brings to the fore, one of the leading challenges; the tendency to enable and encourage conflict in the minds of these children, if they continue to suffer the absence of access to education.

The host school currently accommodates male students only because they suffer hostel accommodation challenges, and have limited facilities to accommodate female students too.

Therefore, this limits the outcome and participation of female IDPs, at school
Amongst the challenges highlighted in this project, is the widespread of unemployed youths, some of which will be used as a channel in the execution of this project.

Overcoming the challenge

In respect to the aforementioned challenges, the initiative of a summer school for IDPs has been set up to address the educational needs of these children. The project is designed to deliver quality education to the children so that they can catch up with their peers in other schools.

Guardians and Counsellors will be invited over to the camp in order to have close relations and interaction with the children. This will help address to an extent, the mental and emotional needs of the children. 

Also, since the project is volunteer-driven, idle youths will be engaged during the course of the summer school. However, prior to the commencement of the summer school, every volunteer will be trained on how to interact will the children both inside and outside the classes.

On the conclusion of the summer school, a closing ceremony will be organized in which students who perform well, in academics, skill acquisition, and sporting activities, would be recognized. The ceremony would also serve as a means to raise funds that would be used in the procurement of;

• A female hostel for the school, as the school currently provides accommodation for male students only. This, I believe, will encourage and boost attendance of female students, at the school.

• A total number of eighty desks

OBJECTIVES 

1. To deliver quality education to the children, using psychomotor, cognitive, and affective learning skills

2. To recognise, support and explore the skills of the children

3. To identify with the physical, mental, and academic needs of the children, so that they can experience a form of reorientation and rehabilitation.

4. To give the students a sense of belonging so that they can stand confidently with their counterparts from other schools.

5. To provide a female hostel for the school in order to encourage and boost attendance of females at the school

The Proposed Outcomes

Following the conclusion of the program, this project hopes to achieve the following:

- The students would have acquired quality education and become more articulate in spoken English

- The students would be equipped with different skills that they can use as a source of income

- Jobless youths would be engaged throughout the period of the summer school

- The students would have acquired more educational materials

- The students would access opportunities for a better learning environment

MODE OF OPERATION.

The program is designed to run just like a secondary school, dividing the students into the following categories:

• Junior Category and

• Senior Category

The students will be taught for three weeks and will be expected to write an exam during the fourth week of the program. They will offer the following basic subjects including one science subject:

• Mathematics

• English

• Biology (for senior category) 

• Basic Science (for junior category)

• Government (for senior category)

• Civic Education (for junior category) and

• History

Students will be given the opportunity to acquire different skills, as a number of skill acquisition tutors have volunteered to pass on the knowledge of their respective skills across to them. Following the three weeks of learning, there will be a week of examination and, their scripts will be marked and collated within 4th August to 8th August, 2017.

The time table for the summer school has breakout sessions, during which students will be divided into groups, and will be thought how to play educative board games.

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NEEDS OF THE PROJECT 

Please note that questions as to how you can participate in the program can be answered through the contact details in the picture above.

1. Volunteers (teaching and non-teaching)

2. Feeding for a month

3. Welfare resources for Volunteers 

4. Uniforms and sports wears

5. Educational Materials (notebooks, textbooks, writing materials, crayons, drawing books, flip charts, marker boards and other related materials).

6. Resources for the opening and closing ceremonies.

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The Ternary Volunteer

After graduating from university with a degree in International Law and Diplomacy, I was ready to take on the world. I see myself as a self-acclaimed humanitarian especially as I had memorized chunks of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, so why not?
I worked as the project and operations manager at start-up social enterprise, a content manager for a social media platform for lawyers, and project manager for a women targeted show at the same time over a year. The following year, I went on to work at the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution Abuja for a year as a research assistant doing nothing fulfilling really; I however met a few inspiring
people; but volunteering had never crossed my mind. I would often donate to charities, like and comment on matters that concerned humanity on Facebook, but that wasn’t enough. At the end of 2015, I shaved my natural hair off and decided I was going to throw myself to the universe to do whatever it pleased, dramatic! I know. I found an Ad for International Citizen Service, applied, fundraised and I was off to another country for 3 months. I was suddenly a London based Nigerian volunteer to Kenya. Having a red passport helped!



I packed my 30kg suitcase, 7kg of snacks off to Nakuru Kenya with a group of 10 other people who had the same passion as me! I was extremely terrified, Kenya would not be like Nigeria, I did not have any family there to bring me food. I also hated that my UK counterparts kept saying it would not be different for me as I had lived in Nigeria anyway and  the funky toilets would not be new to me *rolls eyes 360 degree*. Regardless, I was elated to share my knowledge and experience to help local people build small businesses to improve their standard of living; “teach a man how to fish rather than give him 100 fish”. I was also very excited about working with Kenyan Youth, I expected they would be just like me; we are after all African AWOO! (I know I play too much).
helped!


My experience volunteering in Kenya was nothing like I expected. Coming out of it, I would say the people had more impact on me than I on them.The entrepreneurs I worked with taught me market sense – tacit knowledge! Things I could not have learnt in a classroom or at my office desk. My host family was also amazing! I saw Africa like never before. Living in Nigeria made the Africa experience random to me, but in Kenya I had the opportunity to enjoy the show that is Africa from

 the side-line, the overwhelming hospitality of the people, passion and diehard tenacity, the beautiful strangeness of language and ultimately, love extended to strangers. One thing I did not appreciate though was the lack of heat in food! I had to go to two markets before I found some pilipili (pepper)
to bless my food with





International volunteering gave me the opportunity to hear other perspectives and understand that what is right is not always right! Basic understanding you may say. Example! Talking about gender roles, one of the Kenyan volunteers in my team who had been to university and is highly intelligent expressed that her dream is to be a pastor’s wife. Pastor’s wife!! My brain almost knocked. What Millennial, in 2017 wants to be just a pastor’s wife, she could be a pastor herself, she had been to university and could work a white collar job, or run her own business, she was after all empowering other people. Yes! I said all these to her, in my normal fashion, I knew better as was going to help her know and do better too; feminist alert! A few weeks later, it dawned on me that there was nothing wrong with what she wants do with her life, how would I have felt if somebody told me that my vision for my own life was not good enough. That single event was an amazing awakening for me! I found the meaning of empowerment, doing whatever YOU want to do for YOURSELF! i travelled across the globe to learn that.




My hair did not grow much sadly, the struggle is real! But, I picked up a little Swahili; “Momma, I is multilingual now!”; have a place and amazing family to go to if I am ever in Kenya again, got beautiful picture with and of the amazing landscape and wildlife – giraffes, hippos, crocs, gazelles, flamingos; learnt to make some mean chapattis, made lifelong friends in my entrepreneurs, acquired valuable knowledge and a beaded Kenyan flag bracelet which I have found to be a great conversation starter.



kuzungumza hivi karibuni. Asante Sana!

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Band Leaders, Diehard and Core Fixers.

When you Volunteer...

Good morning! One of the most talked about topics in the universe right now is the concept of volunteering! Given it's importance and growing relevance, you can't afford to miss the global discussions centered around it. The discussions are so profound many feel compelled to join the band, some for good reasons and some for extremely personal reasons! Very personal lol.

Volunteering is service to humanity, an activity that encourages you to put others especially the vulnerable before you. The beauty of volunteering is that it is always a win-win situation! Everyone
gets better at the end of the activity! Whether you like it or not! It just happens! It's a consequence of volunteering! You improve the community or target audience and you improve yourself in more ways than you know (you will notice the improvement over time).

However, with the constant and increasing discussion, comes this pressure that doesn't exist. The pressure is so artificial, it affects just a particular group: The group which doesn't understand it. I will discuss in detail, the different types of volunteers with relation to the Artificial Pressure.

THE ARTIFICIAL PRESSURE.

The artificial pressure is that push, the unnecessary fear or propellant that makes you feel the "dire" need to volunteer for all the wrong reasons.

You have looked at people's profiles on social media and the ones with the good jobs or seem really cool are the ones who have once volunteered or work with charity. This has certain effects on you and puts you under an artificial pressure, you are likely to be one of these;

Volunteering is the New Cool: "The Band Leaders"

These set of people are naturally propelled to be affiliated to the cool stuff. They are the first to do anything that is beginning to look cool, they are the pace setters for the cool stuff. Given the growing importance of volunteering and the comments you see on pictures of volunteers or related agencies, you feel the need to be a part of it as the volunteers are the ones that look good now! Everyone seems to be praising them. You join in so that people can call you humble or warm hearted. You are quick to take a picture at the service venue, while at your service point, your priorities include a good picture preferably by the lowliest side of the service venue, the post to accompany the pictures and a prediction of the number of likes you may get on that post. You do not have bad intentions, you just need to keep your cool game 100!. After getting your pictures, you get too tired or irritated to do the main job because you find out that you are there for all the wrong reasons then you get exasperated
and your actions have adverse effects on your service areas.




Volunteering is the new path: "the Diehard "

These volunteers want to work in the multinational organizations, speak at world class conferences
and need the good jobs or worst off want to attend free international programs at all costs. These
organizations ask for the charitable work that you have done as part of the considerations for the role. They have good intentions, but the diehard misses the point. To the diehard, volunteering is the

stepping stone, so he is a part of so many charity programs, owns an organization (maybe), takes the most pictures and updates his cv and social media profile every now and then to reflect the charity for the week. He will get tired along the way and will begin to renege on commitments made. He has merely taken up space and has deprived the well meaning people of their chance to get the job done.


Volunteering is the only way: "the core fixers ". 

These volunteers believe that volunteering is the only way to save the world. The world needs fixing and all hands must be on deck. They embark on a project with a lot of ideas, goals and expected results. They try so hard but feel disappointed when all the objectives are not met. They feel like they have done nothing and may be reluctant to volunteer again because they believe that volunteering really can't achieve much. The mistake with this is that, as an individual, there is so much so can do, but the consistency in your efforts and collaboration with others through actions would bring the desired result. The global issues threatening our existence can be achieved through joint efforts and that's why everyone is encouraged to volunteer in order to put the bits every one has to make the perfect whole. Your efforts are always material, don't feel bad when you can not see the results now,
often times, the manifestations visible are on the long run.

Volunteering is a beautiful and laudable thing to do but you must engage in it for the right reasons in order to achieve the right results. True service, love for humanity and the obligation to make the world a better place should propel you. Not the ensuing fame or benefits you gain from exploiting the status of the vulnerable. Truth is, everything good will come if you do the right thing. Volunteering is always a win win situation, the volunteer and the service area would ALWAYS get better if we do the right things.
What do you think?


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MBULO TONNA; FINGERPRINTS OF SERVICE

TONNA!

Hi! My name is Mbulo Tonna, I am a gradute of International Law and Diplomacy. I am fun, openminded; optimistic, witty maybe but at most ready to be at the forfront of change. I believe I am a force to reckon with.


WHY VOLUNTEER?
Sincerely,  more Nigerians should volunteer.  Volunteering is a platform for one to see the world from a different perspective; gives one a clearer view of the important things in life.


SERVICE AT THE IDP CAMP.
My inspiration  for my event at  the Internally  displaced  persons camp  was my three months volunteering program in a local community  in Kwara state.  The program is organised by an INGO called VSO. The agency has been in operation since 1960 but started the youth program  in 2013,  They believe that the youths of today are the best agents of change. I worked in a multi-cultural environment , having counterparts  from the uk, being exposed  to alot of culture shock in a local community.  I was fascinated.
The only challenge I faced was having anxiety. I wanted everything to be perfect that I almost  lost sight of the essence of why I wanted to be there for the children  in the first place, I was worried if the sweets and juices wouldn't be enough. My project intention is using play learning as an instrument to improve  the quality of Education  in the country through  thought -provoking means such as board
games.





ON IMPACT.
I want people to understand that you don't have to possess alot of resources to make an impact in anyone's life. The little you do still counts. The best ways I think Nigeria can achieve their global goals is by diversifying in areas that are innovative,  creative and cost effective. Focus more on the children and youths for the good of the country's  future and more so be open to change.

VOLUNTEERING IN A COMMUNITY.
My volunteering in a local community  was life changing. I had UK counterparts  who I rubbed minds with. I realised there is beauty in diversity.  The three months I volunteered  was one of he best days of my life because I was part of a cause that is not only life changing for me but for the community, I have also had an overload of amala and ewedu lol. What inspired me the most was how welcoming and appreciative the community  was.


HEARTBREAKING EXPERIENCE.
My most heart breaking experience was when we tried to mobilise women to take a free diabetes test to create awareness, 55% of the women were skeptical and did not want  to partake in the activity. What stood out to me the most was a funny comment one of the women we tried to mobilise  said.  She spoke in yoruba and said " I am not having sex anymore, my husband  is dead therefore I am fine
 in Jesus name", it made me feel  like there's a long way to go but there's still hope.


PARTING WORDS.
The advise I would love to give the country is pleading that they use the youths to achieve sustainable goals. Youths are vibrant,  energetic, exposed, enthusiastic and go -getters. No one else would be prefect for the role as an agent of change.  "IF YOU CAN THINK IT , YOU CAN DO IT ".

Thank you for taking time to read and share this post. Should you have any questions, comments or suggestions do not hesitate to use the comment box.

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