The Rotary Club of Agege has launched a community advocacy program focused on parenting education to address societal challenges and reduce wayward behavior.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that over 5,000 participants benefitted from the initiative, which was designed to support residents of Agege and surrounding areas.
Dr. Taiwo Adelanwa, the project team lead for Basic Education and Literacy, highlighted the importance of the program. She explained that the initiative aims to tackle issues of waywardness among children and address the struggles of ‘trial-and-error’ parenting.
“What we do is community education on basic education and literacy. We also do community advocacy on literacy, child literacy and parenting alongside this project.
“In Rotary we have our area of focus and every month there are projects assigned to each month to achieve these areas of focus.
“With my team we decided that this project is not about going to school to do debates for children alone.
“The other strategy is to go into community and do community education to the major stakeholders in the basic education of the child, who are the parents.
“We also decided to work with other stakeholders like the government authority.
“We are so blessed to have a fantastic relationship with the local government of Agege,” she said
Adelanwa said that the first phase, was done in the in October where Rotary went to the community, educated them on the importance of child-based education and literacy.
She added that the education authority also came to update the community on opportunities, interventions, programmes available from the government angle to enhance child-based education and literacy.
“There were a lot of shock response and protection on the part of the state government for the child-based education and literacy that a lot of people are not aware of.
“Like on this project, I found out what they call Project Zero. I have never heard about it.Where you have truly indigent children in the community that are purely indigent and cannot afford basic education.
“The government provides Project Zero initiative, the government not only provides them with free education, but also provides for all their educational needs, from stationery to school uniform to shoes, socks and everything.
“And ensures support that indigent children have basic, essential education. This is a fantastic intervention that we are now aware of,” she added.
Adelanwa also noted that the education authority also provided Rotary with counsellors who came into the programme to bring their services next to the community.
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She said that the education counsellors in the local government came to the community to provide edu-counselling for parents and children alike who need guidance and counselling on their academics.
Adelanwa said it has been a fantastic experience as it was an eye-opener on the needs and gaps for parents to be tutored on parenting skills especially when dealing with special children.
According to her, this situation are rampant in the community and it’s importance for the Rotary to initiate the project for future purpose in the society.
Mrs Adewunmi Oyewole, the Past Assistant Governor of the Rotary Club of Agege said that the programme was put in place to give basic education and enlighten the parents and young mothers on parenting skills.
“Therefore, some people are just living without awareness.
This is the second in two months that we are doing.
“We have a lot of children in Agege, we are actually excited about parents’ needs to be counselled.
“So it’s, if we can go into it to have this control, we will have that responsibility especially at this time, when things are not working the way we want it to be.
“Because there are quite a lot of children on roads who don’t have a home. Because parents don’t even know where the children are. So it all boils down to the fact that the home is lacking in some areas.
Mr Adekunle Akorede, the Projects Chair, Rotary Club Agege said that the programme was overwhelming and impactful to parents especially the young mothers who lack proper guidance before getting pregnant.
Akorede said that parenting education advocacy programme would bring positive impacts to the community in the nearest future.
We are here to talk to parents about the important of taking their children to school or give them opportunity learn a vocational skills for self reliant,” he said.
Mrs Motunrayo Ogunyomi Education Secretary Agege Local Government, in her remarks said that the education department in the council has partnered the Rotary for grassroots community development.
Ogunyomi represented by Adekunle Adebote, said that the education authority was in partnership with Rotary Club Agege to create an awareness on government programmes in education to the residents.
“So many communities in Lagos are not aware of the project Zero of the state government on education sector.
“Projects zero is initiated to cater for the indigent pupils by providing school materials for children to learn effectively
“All these we are exposing them to to take proper advantage of them,” he said.