Refugees Commission Harps On Education For IDPs, Seeks Support

The National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) has called on well meaning Nigerians and organisations to help educate internally displaced children to enable them fit into the society when they live the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps.

The Deputy Director, IDPs, at the Commission, Ms Fatima Mamman Daura, made the call on Tuesday during a visit to the Local Education Authority Primary School, Gwarimpa, Abuja, where some internally displaced children were enrolled by the Early Years Education for IDP Initiative, Abuja.

The Deputy Director, who expressed satisfaction with the educational progress of the children, commended the school and the Early Years Initiative for IDPs for the intervention, adding that the Commission would enroll more IDP children in school wherever there were significant IDP populations in the country.

“This initiative means a lot to me because this is a private individual, who is supporting the Refugees Commission, supporting children displaced from the Goza, Southern Borno in the North East.

“The commission’s mandate is to ensure that IDPs are protected and assisted. So, we must ensure that they not only get education, but also get education that is at per with what other children are getting.

“As we keep telling people, everyone can help because they are all our children. Even if it is just one child, it will go a long way in giving them a bright future beyond the IDP camps. Insurgency will not last forever and we should prepare them to fit into the society when they live the IDP camps” she added.

Speaking to newsmen, the co-founder of Early Years for IDPs Initiative, Mr. Ndubuisi Nwigwe, said the organisation was now working with the Refugees Commission to set up early years centres in the IDP camps in order to carter to the educational needs of more children and commended the Federal Commissioner, NCFRMI, Senator Basheer Garba Mohammed for his commitment to educating displaced children.

He explained: “Two years ago, we enrolled 50 IDP children from the Durumi IDP camp in our centre where we provide them with early child education. We prepared the 36 older ones to enrolled in primary school at the shortest time possible, while smaller ones remain with us.

“The headmistress of the Early Years Primary School in Gwarimpa was quite kind to admit 36 of them and they are being graciously sponsored by the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed.

“We pick them up after school and take back to our centre, give them lunch, and help them with their homework before we take them back to the camps”

Meanwhile, the Head Teacher of LEA Primary School, Gwarimpa, Mrs. Hafsat Umar-Isa, expressed joy at progress of the internally displaced children, noting that there was a great change.

“It was not easy. But now, there is a great change. Even during the examinations, most of the teachers were confessing that there has been great difference”, she added.

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