In the coming year, with the help of our donors including the Radio 4 listeners who responded to our appeal, Street Child will be supporting a further 20,000 children in north-east Nigeria. We will be building 30 more temporary learning centres and training 120 community volunteer teachers as well as providing psycho social support.
Street Child would like to say a huge thank you to the Radio 4 listeners who so generously supported the Street Child appeal. With your help we raised the amazing total of £29,770 which will make a huge impact on Street Child’s work to provide education for vulnerable children.
Our appeal shared the story of Fatima, who had suffered at the hands of Boko Haram in north-east Nigeria. Following the death of her family, Fatima was held for five years in a small room on a remote mountain where food was scarce and Fatima was flogged daily. Now, having been rescued by the army, Fatima is receiving support from Street Child – she is going to school for the first time aged 16 and she is also receiving counselling to help her deal with suicidal thoughts and focus on the future. Over the last decade, Boko Haram extremist groups have waged a devastating terror campaign in north-east Nigeria against what they call ‘western’ education. As well as having claimed the lives of 20,000 people and made two million homeless, Boko Haram have abducted children, destroyed schools and killed teachers. Half of all children in Northeast Nigeria now have no school at all.
Since 2016 Street Child has supported 29,000 children in north-east Nigeria. We have set up Child-Friendly Spaces where over 25,000 children can play and receive counselling; staffed by community volunteers who have been trained by our counsellors and professional mental health staff. We have also established 60 temporary learning centres and have provided training to almost 600 school teachers, so they are better equipped to deal with children who have experienced trauma. We have renovated 190 primary school classrooms that have been damaged by on-going conflict, and have provided books, pens and education materials to 23,000 children, to encourage them to stay in school, even in the difficult, and sometimes insecure, circumstances in which they find themselves.
Thank you to everyone who responded to our appeal – your support is invaluable to our work.
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