Children in Samaru and other communities in Sabon Gari Local Government Area of Kaduna State have received hygiene kits and learning materials from Save the Children International (SCI).
The initiative, implemented under SCI’s Reaching Out-of-School Children Project, aims to promote menstrual hygiene management and reduce absenteeism among schoolgirls.
Speaking with journalists in Zaria on Monday, the Social Mobilization Officer of SCI in Sabon Gari LGA, Mr. Armaya’u Ahmed, said each beneficiary received notebooks, school bags, and other educational materials.
He added that adolescent girls also received hygiene kits containing disposable and reusable sanitary pads, pants, a rope, a five-liter plastic bucket, a torchlight, and soap.
Ahmed disclosed that at the LEA Primary School, Samaru Centre, 150 children were trained for re-enrolment under the first mapping, while 500 others are awaiting similar support.
He said existing students and teachers were not left out, as head teachers and other educators also received capacity-building training, while plans were underway to construct additional classroom blocks across the centres.
In his remarks, the Ward Head of Unguwan Liman, Samaru, Abubakar Sani, commended SCI for the initiative.
Sani said many parents had expressed interest in enrolling their children following the first and second mapping exercises.
He attributed the high number of out-of-school children in the area to the influx of displaced families from parts of Kaduna, Zamfara, and Katsina states due to insecurity.
The community leader urged parents to make effective use of the learning materials and hygiene kits distributed to their children.
The programme, supported by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and global partners, seeks to improve learning outcomes and enhance the wellbeing of school-aged children.
It aligns with Kaduna State’s education reform agenda to reduce the number of out-of-school children and promote inclusive, equitable, and quality education for all.
The project, coordinated by IsDB with financial and technical support from the Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development (ISFD) and other partners, includes the construction of new schools and renovation of existing ones to create a more conducive learning environment.
Save the Children International is leading implementation efforts related to community learning, welfare, and child protection under the initiative.
