The Beginning

In 2015, the African Women in Leadership organization began a strategic journey towards addressing the issue of Africa’s many out of school children. A pilot project called #1mother1child was born and the idea was to connect each woman leader in AWLO to provide care, nurture and financial support to 1 African child. The purpose of this support is to ensure that indigent children are prevented from dropping out of school and to bring back those who already dropped out.

At the launching of #1mother1child in 2015. Mrs. Sylva (AWLO Patron) and Pastor Chidi Jacob, Program Director.
 

The Journey so far……..

After the launch, a team was set up and their first task was to identify key areas and locations for the implementation of the key objective of the project. Here is what has happened so far.

  • Indigent Children at Dutse Secondary School, Abuja

We were introduced to a set of children who were at the verge of dropping out of school without any intervention. Some had lost a parent, while others belonged to families who had fallen on very difficult times. We intervened and prevented a total of 20 children from dropping out of school. Included in this number are Favour, Joshua and Joy Astemokhai, the triplets whose parents could no longer afford their secondary education. We worked with the school who helped to identify them while fees were paid directly to the school. In addition, the children’s progress were monitored to ensure their success.

 Some of the scholarship recipients with the School Principal and 1mother1child support staff
  • Kunchingoro IDP Camp, Abuja

Our initial idea with the Internally Displaced Persons camp in Abuja was to register the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and JAMB examinations for as many we could. But when we gave them basic reading and writing test, many of them who had graduated from secondary education performed very poorly. In response, we started a preparatory school on camp and employed a total of 4 full time teachers. Initially, there was hesitation but with our consistency we gained their trust and the school was teaching over 70 children on a weekly basis. We also equipped the school with books and computers to assist with their learning.

                          Our Prep school at Kuchingoro IDP Camp in Progress
Some awardees at the Kunchingoro IDP Camp after receiving their certificate from Her Excellency Alayingi Sylva

Results from the IDP Camp

  • 5 pupils were moved from the Camp to a secondary school in Keffi were they successfully completed their secondary education with full support from us.
 A set of our scholarship recipients leaving the IDP Camp to a boarding school in Keffi 
  • 65 children were registered, some for WAEC and others for JAMB
  • Due to limited funds, we were able to move only 9 who were successful in their JAMB exams to different universities with full scholarship including fees, feeding, and accommodation. Out of this 9, as of the date of this report, 4 are full graduates, the rest are either in their 3/400 levels.

It is of interest to note that out of this child who performed poorly in basic reading and writing test, Hassan Dauda Adawa is now in 400 levels studying mathematics in the University of Maiduguri. Emmanuel Yusuf and Christopher Bitrus Aksavdawa are now graduates of Biochemistry and Chemistry respectively from the University of Maiduguri while Satuwa Ibrahim is now in 300 levels at the department of physical health education, and Ali Ibrahim is now in his 5th and final year from the school of Nursing, the University of Maiduguri with a 4.5 GPA.

From Internally Displaced Persons to University Graduates

  2016…..Ali Ibrahim and his friends from the IDP Camp arriving the University of Maiduguri accompanied by 1mother1child Staff
(Dec 2021)…Hassan Dauda Adawa, Emmanuel Yusuf, and Ali Ibrahim, standing with Dr. Elisha Attai (AWLO founder), Her Excellency Alayingi Sylva (AWLO Patron), and Pastor Chidi Jacob, #1mother1child Program Director.

         The Story as written by Nurse Ali Ibrahim on behalf of other awardees

A JOURNEY WITH AFRICAN WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP ORGANIZATION (AWLO)

The comprehensive process of this great change of destiny from potential failures to a great set of people with great dreams as we are today is very long one.

We are a victim of the insurgency that emanated from Borno state dating back since 2013, in which we lost our homes, families, source of income which was majorly farming, through which our parents were able to support our livelihood and studies. We were all forced to leave our home town in search of a way for survival.

We were here in Kuchgoro IDP Camp, Abuja living from hand to mouth just merely affording to survive when the African Women in Leadership Organization came to our rescue in December 2015. They started this program for us with lessons, after which they sponsored our Jamb registration, and God so kind, we were able to pass jamb and get admission into the University of Maiduguri. We were five students in the University of Maiduguri, one student in the Nursing department, one student in the Biochemistry department, one student in department of chemistry education, one in the mathematics department and one in the physical and health education department.

The journey started though not an easy one, but with the African Women in Leadership Organization (AWLO), it was quite a smooth journey. This very organization revived back our hope from a lost one, now being people that are living just as every other citizen should be living a life full of hope. This organization has sponsored us 100% so far so good, ranging from our school fees, accommodation fees, materials, textbooks, and feeding.

We really cannot imagine how our life would have become without this organization. We see this organization as a God sent to come and rescue us from the tragedy of life and a lifetime pain. We also appreciate their effort of the leadership of AWLO for regularly paying us visit in the university, where we have even connected us with the vice chancellor where we had a discussion face to face with the vice chancellor. This is a rare privilege given to us, most of student comes and graduate without getting to meet the VC, but AWLO made that possible for us, to the extent that if there is any pressing challenge that cannot be communicated to AWLO on time, we got an easy connection to the school through the VC to get an urgent support to be given a grace of time before we reach out to AWLO.

Currently, we have two graduates from the list of the students that started with us. We have one graduate from Biochemistry department and one graduate from the Chemistry education department which are now awaiting NYSC. Currently we have one 500level student in the department of Nursing science one student currently a 300level student in the department of Physical education and one 400level student in the department of mathematics and we a trying our best to make AWLO proud by studying hard and graduate with excellent results.

African Women in leadership are nothing different from a life to us. All we have to say to this organization is that, you gave us a dream and took us right there and we hope and pray that AWLO will see us through with this great sponsorship up till we graduate. You have given us a legacy to pass unto our generation even more than we have been given

I will like to acknowledge the effort of our selfless service mother (H. E. Alanyingi Sylva) long life to our mummy long life to whole umbrella covering the AWLO.

Thank you so very much.

Ali Ibrahim Mbrza (Registered Nurse)

500-level, Department of Nursing Science.

Next Level

Now that we have created a successful program, our next big idea is to transition the #1mother1child project into a national program where participants will be selected from all around the country. AWLO state chapters will be responsible for identification and verification of pupils within their states who are eligible to be enrolled into the program. To keep this flame burning, changing realities and destinies, we need your help and support.