Women in nine local government areas of Kebbi State have been paid at least N8,000 and as much as N64,000 each per term by the United Nations Children’s Fund to enable them sponsor their children in school.
Our correspondent learnt that the beneficiaries collected the cash made available for the purpose by the UNICEF’s Educate-a-child Cash Transfer Programme.
Information obtained from UNICEF indicated that the programme was operational in the Danko-Wasagu, Suru, Maiyama, Argungu, Bagudo, Dandi, Gwandu, Koko-Besse and Shanga local government areas of the state.
Speaking with our correspondent, some of the women in the Kawara Manu community, Maiyama Local Government Area, noted that the money helped them to buy provisions, uniforms, shoes and books for their children.
Fatima Dauda, a mother of five, said, “I have benefitted from the cash support from UNICEF for my children. I got N32,000. I was able to buy uniforms and socks for them. I also bought goats and other livestock that I keep.
“I have benefitted three times. I got N32,000 for the first term and N62,000 for the second term. I bought school uniforms, biros and pencils for the children. From the money, I also bought goats that I rear for sale whenever I need more money.”
Thirty-two-year-old Aisha Shuaib, said, “I got N8,000 for each of my children, making N32,000 for the four of them. I want my children to remain in school and I want them to continue to the university level.
“I want the female children to become nurses so that they can help women in our community. My five children are in classes six, four, three, two and one.”
Our correspondent learnt that Kebbi State was one of the highest with out-of-school children population in the North, which is currently put around 400,000 to 500,000 kids.
Through the Educate-A-Child cash transfer programme, which began in 2018, UNICEF said it had provided cash support of N8,000 and N16,000 to 7,342 parents of out-of-school children in the state to enable them fund their children’s education.
UNICEF added that the money was specifically given to the mothers.
The UNICEF Project Coordinator in the state, Mr Isah Usman, said the goal was to expand access to basic education for 501,749 out-of-school children by 2020 in Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara states.
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