YOUTHVILLE ISSUE #122
Friday, March 17, 2017
08078068532
youthville@dailytrust.com
...young at heart
We’re advocating de-radicalisation of estranged youth in Borno — Ummu Kalthum Ummu Kalthum Muhammad Rabiu is 22 years old. The Borno state activist and a polytechnic student is the Peace Ambassador and the Chairperson of Kalthum Foundation for Peace By Simon E. Sunday @SimonEchewofun
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hat’s the story behind your progressive forum? What really motivated me was the unfortunate event of the kidnapped 276 Chibok girls which occurred on the night of April 14, 2014 at GGSS Chibok in the town of Chibok. In fact we had a situation where 56 students of a federal institution, the Federal Government College, Buniyadi, Yobe State were brutally slaughtered by terrorists but no one was talking about it. So I decided to be the voice of the voiceless; this is the driving force behind the initiative of Kalthum Campaign for Peace which later changed to Kalthum Foundation for Peace, KFP. As a successful young activist, what are the challenges you face? The challenges revolve around the norms, values and beliefs generally accepted in my community. For example, some people don’t think that a lady should be campaigning for basic human rights and freedom; they see us as ill equipped and incompetent to speak out. We also lack logistics like operational vehicles. We lack funds to pay salaries for the 12 staff and stipends for another 20 volunteers. What projects are you currently working on? We are presently organizing a seminar on Countering Violent Extremism among Students of both formal and non-formal schools through the SAVE 1 (Students Against Violent Extremism) and the SAVE2 (Sisters Against Violent Extremism) projects. We just concluded the training of over 500 young men and women on how to go into smallholder farming with a view to finding constructive ways to keep them engaged and employed. What are the platforms you are creating to empower others? Beside the SAVE1 and SAVE2
(KFP) promoting deradicalisation of estranged youth in the state. In this interview, the moderate morality advocate shared her view about violent ideologies and religious extremism.
platforms, we have the EAGLE which stands for Economic Advancement and Good Life for Everyone. We use this platform to economically empower people as part of ridding Borno and the northeast of terrorism. We have about 200 business plans; we hope to give them grants of N10,000 to N150,000 to go into farming. One of them, Al Bashir Abubkar has been empowered for fulltime farming in Ngamdu, and he can employ 22 people. What is your current membership strength? gistered members. My We have 478 registered ers have the capacity staff and volunteers because many of them were school ve experience working teachers who have d young people. I also with children and have staff who have civil service and ds. My team and staff NGO backgrounds. or my success. are responsible for ource your fund and How do you source what do you use it for? ur funding mostly We source our gencies, individuals, from security agencies, philanthropists and donor agencies. ceived support from We have also received the media. For example VOA Hausa, adio, Radio France, Duestchevele Radio, Nigerian Army Radio and other ke the Northeast Star media outlets like magazine have given us tremendous tunately no media support. Unfortunately house in Borno is giving us any support. ur plans for What are your expansion in the short run? My vision is to see KFP become the bestt and most efficient local NGO in egion of the northeast region the country. I want to touch the lives of at uth least 6000 youth LE through EAGLE rs and see members o of the Boko Haram terrorist group, including
Abubakar Shekau surrender because of my peace advocacy campaign. The security agencies have assured that Operation Safe Haven Corridor Initiative is still open for the terrorists to surrender and be deradicalized so that they can be re-integrated into the society. Do you think this is possible? With determination, persistence and endurance anything can be achieved. I am an optimistic person even though I am sort of an introvert. I believe t h a t all things are possible with God on my side.
Bauchi State government has enrolled about 20,000 orphans and vulnerable children in health schemes including the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to help them have access to quality healthcare. The Orphans and vulnerable children were enrolled into the health schemes through the Bauchi State Agency for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (BASOVCA). Another 400 orphans and vulnerable children were also registered by the agency to benefit from medical
and clinical services at the Bauchi Specialists hospital. Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar commended BASOVCA for the giant strides to take care of orphans and vulnerable children in the state. He made the commendation when he commissioned the Ambassador M.C. Abubakar Orphans and Vulnerable Children Vocational College constructed by the agency. He said the college is an institution founded to extend equal educational opportunities to orphans who are admitted from all the 20 local
Zamfara govt urged to upgrade Gusau stadium From Shehu Umar,Gusau The Special Assistant to Governor Yari on Youth and Sports, Alhaji Yunusa Lawal Rosy, has appealed to the state government to review the N2.6bn stadium construction contract awarded since 2011. Rosy made the appeal in an interview with Daily Trust. He said the state is left behind in terms of sports facilities having the worst stadium in the country after it was inherited from the old Sokoto state. He said Sardauna Memorial Stadium was a zonal sports stadium inherited from old Sokoto State and the stadium to date is having substandard and dilapidated facilities and structures. “In view of this, we are appealing to the state government to review the contract awarded as the company’s facilities have been lying for six years in the Gusau Old Motor park where the new stadium is to be sited,” he said. He said the completion of the stadium would boost the confidence of sports lovers in the state. He lauded the sustained release of N4 million monthly to the Directorate of Sports Development to run the state football clubs and other sports associations.
Varsity students fabricate incubator
Bauchi enrols 20,000 orphans, the vulnerable in health schemes From Balarabe Alkassim, Bauchi
Almost everything that is great has been done by youth. – Benjamin Disraeli
government areas of the State. In a goodwill message, the Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Rilwanu Suleiman Adamu said the problems of orphans and vulnerable children are becoming prominent, with growing number of widows seeking help” especially during festive periods. Executive Chairman of the Agency, Alhaji Ibrahim Hali Abdullahi said the college teaches students vocational courses including electrical/electronic, automobile, building, welding and fabrication, knitting and garments, carpentry and joinery, computer installations and hardware repairs.
A group of final year students of Mechanical Engineering Department of Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna have fabricated about 5,000 thousand capacity incubator machine in course of carrying out their project work. In an interview with the Head of the Department and project supervisor, Associate Professor Oluwafemi Olugboji said the machine is unique because it monitors fluctuation and changes in humidity and temperature that may likely cause damage in production. Olugboji said 90 per cent of the materials used in fabricating the machine was imported from China while 10 per cent was locally sourced. He attributed some of the challenges faced during the project to the lack of cooperation among the students and inadequate funding for the project. He said the project cost N80,000 when it was done six months ago but noted that it would not cost N1.4million at the present economic situation. He gave the names of the three students involved in the project to be Babalola Samuel Jola, Chimaze Ezechima Frank and Onche Edoche Moses while urging other students to emulate their research capabilities. One of them, Mr. Jola said they started the project as part of their final year requirements. From Jibril Abdulrasheed Tenimu, HND 2, Mass Communication Department, Fed Poly, Bida.
DAILY TRUST, Friday, March 17, 2017
YOUTHVILLE
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Foundation tackles educational challenges in the North By Bamas Victoria Ja Muje, a citizen-led initiative of NorthernlifeNG, is planning a synergy between governments and educational institutions to achieve sustainable development in communities of northern Nigeria. The foundation coordinator, Farida Yahaya in a statement said that during the First Edition of Ja Muje Round Table, a stakeholders forum on education, held recently in Kano they were able to delineate challenges working against formal education in the north region. She said “Ja Muje has identified education as a principal issue and this formed the basis of its kick-off. Some of the most persistent issues we
are dealing with include insecurity, religious and cultural misconceptions about western education and the unwillingness of parents, guardians and other holders of constituted authority to embrace the proposed benefits a good formal education presents.” Farida said that there was a general agreement that the almajiri system was contributing to the stagnation of capacity in the North, as youth are left without the life skills required to better themselves and the lot of their communities. In attendance at the roundtable were representatives of the states in the northern region with affiliation to educational institutions and other educational support organizations.
‘Explore Bauchi aimed at promoting tourism’ By Latifat Opoola @LatifatOpoola “Explore Bauchi” a three day event that held in the last week of February, was an initiative birthed by four friends and young entrepreneurs, looking to explore tourist sites in Nigeria. Usman Abdulhameed of Velcroz Designs, Ahmed Zol, a professional photographer and two others, Kabeer Mohammed and Isa Ozo instinctively agreed upon Bauchi because they are from the state except Isa who is from Kogi state. “Usman said why don’t we just do a trip to Yankari Resort and Safari and other places in Bauchi. And as a tourist that I am and having organized trips to some other places in Nigeria, I didn’t hesitate, so I told him it’s time to Explore Bauchi and its Tourism potential. We decided to tag it #ExploreBauchi2017” Isa said during an interview with YOUTHVILLE. “So we let out the advert on social media for those interested to participate,
and got some investors including Bauchi state government, Abuja Facts, Yankari Resort and Safari and others,” he said. He said although the trip wasn’t an all-expense paid trip, the fare was subsidized because of the coming in of its partners. “More Nigerians are now interested because we have received calls from different groups asking us about when the next Explore Bauchi trip will be and some asked if we could take responsibility in helping them organize a trip to Bauchi, just like this” Isa added. Other achievements according to Isa were the publicity the event drew to Bauchi as most parts on social media talked about the trip and also Yankari Games reserve was fully booked with over 130 guests, which happened to be the very first in its history. He said over 120 tourists explored the natural beauty of the state from Abuja, Lagos, Gombe, Kaduna, Kebbi and Edo states, excluding organizers and its members.
Davido, others to thrill fans at 2017 Gidi festival From Nurudeen Oyewole, Lagos
H
iphop artiste, David Adeleke (Davido), Afrobeat star, Damini Ogulu (Burma Boy) and other African artistes are billed to perform live at the 2017 Gidi festival holding in April. At a press briefing in Lagos, the founder, Gidi Culture Festival, Chinedu Okeke said the fourth edition of the annual event which is originally youth-centred promises to be exciting. According to Okeke, Gidi
Festival represents the urban new culture of Africa which has ensured that year-in-year-out, Nigerian youths are gathered and treated with good music, foods, games and gifts. “Our focus this year is not to be bigger but to be better than what used to be in the past. We are tightening the nuts while sustaining the tempo. Some of the activities we shall be running this year like before will include; a fun zone that is guaranteed to bring out the kid in everyone, annual Volleyball and soccer tournaments with
celebrity captains versus fans. “In summary, his edition of Gidi Fest promises to exceed expectations with headline acts such as; Davido, Burna Boy, Sauti Sol, Seyi Shay, Reekado Banks, Simi and many more. But the festival is not all about the known faces but also the rising stars. We have also taken it as a commitment for our audience to discover new talent. For this reason, these supporting acts have been carefully selected based on their unique style of music,” Okeke said.
50 Sokoto entrepreneurs to benefit from BOI’s N2bn fund — Olagunju By Francis Arinze Iloani The Acting Managing Director of the Bank of Industry (BoI), Mr. Waheed Olagunju, has disclosed that 50 entrepreneurs will benefit in the first tranche of the bank’s loan scheme in Sokoto State. BoI had instituted a N2 billion loan scheme to enhance entrepreneurial development in Sokoto state in collaboration with the state government, with a matching fund of N1 billion to be contributed by each party. Speaking at the side-lines of the National Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises tagged
MSMEs Clinic in Sokoto, Olagunju said the bank would be able to assist at least 50 entrepreneurs at the first instance. ”We are looking at a minimum of 50 in the first instance. You can see wide range of exhibitors from different spheres of the economy. That shows that the people are highly entrepreneurial and they want to be assisted, they want to be supported,” Olagunju said. The boi boss said that it had been a rewarding experience since last year when the bank singed MoU for a matching fund of N2 billion with the Sokoto state government to provide loan scheme for entrepreneurs in the state.
Disabled youth thrives from repairing motorcycles In this time of economic recession where people are reportedly facing hardships, a physically challenged youth is thriving on, repairing motorcycles Niger State. Aliu Kai Alfa defied his deformity to make life worth living for himself and for those around him. In an interview, Alfa revealed he was born with one of his legs paralysed, and cannot walk without a stick as support. The boy from a family of six said he took the bull by the horn and learnt the trade. Alfa now has a shop of his own where people work for him and get paid every month end. He also has apprentices
under his tutelage. He is an expert in repairing faulty generators, stabilisers and electronic fans. Unlike other disabled people engaging in street begging, Alfa said his story is different. He said: “A lot of people beg because of one deformity or the other but I don’t think begging is the best option for deformed people. I strongly believe no matter how deformed someone is, he or she can still be engaged in something that will fetch him/ her money.” Besides, Alfa is a JSS 3 student at Jema Atu Secondary School in the State. When asked how he manages his
shop and studies, Alfa said: “I have boys that are working for me, when I am in school they will be in the shop working till I come back and join them.” The ambitious young mechanic said he would not just end at secondary education. He aspires to become a mechanical engineer. “I want to read mechanical engineering in a university. That is why I am going to school. I believe nothing is impossible. With determination, one can achieve anything in life,” he said. By Adeoti Adenike Deborah, HND 2 Mass Communication, Federal Polytechnic Bida.
Youth lives on hope, old age on memories – The Fresh Quotes