Rigasa ward in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Norh-West Nigeria, may not be a wealthy community, but a large-hearted woman is making all the difference in checking the ballooning population of out-of-school children by providing about 100 orphans free education.
That great benefactress is the founder of Rahma Adam Community School, 25-year-old Mr. Rahma Umar.
The children have been given a new lease on life with the opportunity to study for free, having been out school due to the death of their parents.
The orphans, according to NAN, are not required to pay school fees, textbooks or writing materials, except school uniform.
Also, children of low-income earners or persons living with disabilities were granted access through subsidised monthly education fees of N500.
Mrs. Umar explained that her school was established to assist orphans and the less privileged with free and affordable education.
She said: “I was raised in Rigasa and I know how the locals view education; most of them don’t know the value of education and those who know the value cry of high school fees.
“Of course, there are public schools that provide free education, but the population is enormous, and you will find more than hundred pupils in a class.
“These schools are not enough to cater for all Rigasa children, many parents cannot afford private schools and orphans who lost their breadwinners find it hard to go to school.
“When I finished secondary school, I couldn’t further my education because my parents couldn’t afford it. I was not happy but my grandmother spoke to someone who knows a State Assembly member who paid for my JAMB (Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board) examination.
“And when I got admission to study Science Laboratory Technology at Kaduna Polytechnic, that same man paid for the registration fee; I was happy because I got help when I never expected it.
“This is what motivated me to help children who want to go to school but have no means. And when I completed my National Diploma, I decided to establish this school for orphans and the less privileged.”
According to her, it had been a difficult task securing a suitable location for the school because many landlords refused to let out their properties because of the charitable nature of the school.
“When I told my mother about my plan to establish a school for orphans and the less privileged, she told me that it will be hard and advised I forget the plan.
“The school was launched on October 9, 2022, and I was lucky to have teachers who volunteered to teach for free for a month and I paid them subsequently with the gains I made from my food business.
“Apart from teaching, we make sure we monitor the attendance of learners; in cases where a pupil is absent, we call parents or guardian to enquire of the child’s whereabouts,” she said.
Rahma Adam Community School currently has about 190 attendees, consisting of nursery one to three, primary one to six, and junior secondary school (JSS) one to three classes.
Each child is required to pay N100 for school form for their respective personal data documentation and submission to the school.
“Only children whose parents are not alive and those whose parents are either disabled or low-income earners are accepted.
“We make sure we carry out test before sending them to a class because some children who attended public schools may say they are in primary four but when you test them, you will have to send them to primary one.
“Since it’s a community school, we accept children from the community to enroll so that we can know their residents and their care givers,” Umar explained.
On the sustaining the school, she confessed that running a non-profit organisation such as the school was not an easy task for a young woman like her.
In her words: “Our main challenge is to have a permanent site where we don’t have to deal with the fear of being evicted or paying rent.
We want to continue giving free and quality education to orphans and we need more funds to do this because those paying N500 monthly are not consistent.
“We have contacted some NGOs (non-governmental organisations) and politicians to assist the school with reading and writing materials.
“Some have given us books, while others have made pledges; we are hoping that by next term, we will have tables and chairs for our students to learn effectively.
“Though I have teaching experience, as I have taught in private schools, I will pursue my degree in the field of education to have better understanding on running a school.”
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