KWAGILE begins focal persons training in public Schools
The Kwara State Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project has commenced the constitution and training of Grievance Redress Committees (GRCs) and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Focal Persons in all the 898 junior and senior secondary schools in the State.
Hon. Sa’adatu Modibbo-Kawu, the State Commissioner for Education, while declaring open the event in Ilorin today at the College of Education hall, Ilorin, stated the importance of the training, adding that the exercise would be carried out across the 3 Senatorial districts of the Kwara State.
Hajia Modibo-Kawu commended the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of the AGILE Project for organising the programme, urging participants to ensure they step down the training back home (schools) and various communities.
She said, “The government of Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq is passionate about education, especially the empowerment of the girl-child, in which AGILE Project is one of the projects that is deeply concerned about the girl-child’s total development.
“We need to ensure that we do everything within our means to make the project succeed. You are all relevant stakeholders; therefore, issues of grievances need to be identified and addressed promptly,” she added.
At the Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) training session, the GRM Officer from the National Project Coordinating Unit (NPCU), Abuja, Mr Emmanuel Erinms, emphasised the fact that the project- AGILE is community-based, which needs the support of all relevant stakeholders to succeed, adding that a Complaint box will be provided in all the junior and senior government-owned schools, to register and address all grievances promptly, that may be encountered in the schools.
On the purpose of training, the State Project Coordinator of Kwara AGILE, Mr Adeshina Azeez Salami, disclosed that the project will renovate all public junior and senior secondary schools, construct new schools in identified locations, teach life skills and digital literacy skills, provide second chance opportunity for out-of-school girls, among others.
The resource person on GBV, Mrs Olufunke Bolaji, explained the concept of sex and gender, Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (SEAH), adding that in treating cases of GBV that may arise during the project implementation, confidentiality is crucial.
The Principal of Government Day Junior Secondary School, Alore, Ilorin West Local Government Area of the state, Alhaja Saka Aminat Iyalode, appreciated the Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq-led administration for the initiative, as she was greatly excited at the news of renovations that will be carried out, in all public secondary schools, across the state, assuring the government of their support at all times.
The committee constitution and membership training were carried out on three GRC representatives from each of the junior and senior secondary schools, with the following members: the Principal, a female Guidance Counselor and a community, who were specifically directed to step down to other committee members.
