09/04/2018
Gov. Shettima distributes food items to Mbororo nomadic cattle-herders who allowed their children enrolled into schools
Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, on Thursday presented bags of rice each and assorted food items to parents of 525 Mbororo Fulani nomadic children currently schooling at the El-Kanemi College of Islamic Theology, Maiduguri, through a personal special scholarship scheme introduced by the Governor.
This is even as Governor Shettima assured that their new school at the GRA Primary School will be ready as they resume for the 3rd Term academic session on 30th of this month.
Recall that Governor Kashim Shettima sometimes ago volunteered to personally sponsor the education of children of nomadic cattle-herders who were displaced from their communities in Northern Borno by the activities of Boko Haram.
The nomadic cattle-herders lost their source of livelihoods as thousands of their cows were rustled away by the insurgents. This however forced many of them to relocate with their families to Maiduguri, where they are currently taking up shelter and also engaged in minor jobs such as ‘Maiguards’ to earn a living.
But Governor Shettima felt it will be unfair for children of the nomadic cattle-herders to grow up uneducated like their parents as they will also end up as herdsmen or watchmen, in addition to constituting security threat in future.
But following the special intervention to educate 525 herders' children at the El-Kanemi College of Islamic Theology, which is a bilingual school that teaches both Islamic and Western education, Governor Shettima introduced a 2-Square-meal-per-day feeding programme for the nomadic children to help encourage enrollment as well as boost their mental capacity, knowing the role a good nutrition plays in the brain of a child.
This, however, paid off as the enrollment which initially stood at 50 when the programme started, swelled up to 525 pupils. Many of the Mbororo pupils can now read and write.
But a mild drama played out as the 2nd Term ended last week, when parents of the children approached the management of El-Kanemi College of Islamic Theology, informing it that their children who are well-fed and now looking robust through the school feeding programme, may become emaciated by the time they resume for next term. They pleaded with the school management that their wards should be allowed to attend school throughout the holiday period to continue to enjoy the daily free meals.
Their plea, however, got to the attention of Governor Kashim Shettima, who immediately acted through today's intervention.
Each parent was given a 50kg bag of rice each, a carton of Spaghetti and gallon of groundnut oil to enable them prepare meals for their wards while at home throughout the holiday period.
09/04/2018