Mashi: The Katsina Children’s Parliament has intensified its campaign for girl-child education and child rights with an awareness drive at Government Girls Secondary School, Mashi, in Mashi LGA. The campaign was organised in collaboration with the Department of Girl Child Education and Child Development and Save the Children International (SCI).
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Zainab Abdulkareem, Director of the Department of Girl Child Education and Child Development, stated that the programme was designed to encourage students to pursue their education and achieve their goals. Abdulkareem urged students to remain committed to their studies and avoid negative influences that could derail their future.
In her speech, Fadila Sani, Speaker of the parliament, noted that the aim was to sensitise students and the public to the importance of education, child protection, and the challenges children face. She highlighted the parliament’s commitment to advocating policies and programmes that improve children’s welfare and future in the state. Sani also expressed gratitude to the state government and development partners for supporting child-focused initiatives.
Hafsat Abdullahi, President of the Child Right Advocacy Club at Government Girls Secondary School Mashi, educated the students on preventing gender-based violence and how to report incidents. She emphasized the importance of parents reporting cases instead of hiding them, as silence allows perpetrators to continue. Abdullahi commended the state government and partners for establishing a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) in the state to handle gender-based violence cases.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Governor Dikko Radda recently launched the Safe School Policy, which the parliament had advocated for. Furthermore, the governor approved and released N33 million to support the parliament’s activities, including the sensitisation campaign.
Nabila Majigiri, a parliament member representing Mashi, mentioned that the campaign also addressed issues like malnutrition and child rights abuses among children aged 6 to 59 months. She reiterated the campaign’s focus on raising awareness about child education and the problems children face.