Duncan Green’s “From Poverty To Power” vividly describes a person’s life from the cradle to the grave as interwoven in chances dominated by the extraordinary levels of inequality and lack of education that characterize the modern world.
He paints a picture of two different girls: one born in Norway and the other in Sierra Leone, with the Norwegian having a higher chance of living to old age due to technological advancement occasioned by quality of education and leadership.
The Sierra Leonean girl on the other hand, would most likely die before her fifth birthday, because of low standards in all strata of human development in Sierra Leone.
Additionally, the legendary Nelson Mandela described massive poverty and obscene inequality occasioned by lack of qualitative education as terrible scourges of our times – times in which the world boasts of break taking advances in science and technology, certainly, poverty and inequality have to rank alongside slavery and apartheid as social evils permeating human development.
In Nigeria, the systemic decay in the education sector is awful and devastating. From primary to university level, the rot is glaring with low-quality output, save for a few institutions that maintain high standards amid mounting challenges.
Alarmed by the terrifying and declining trend of education, the stagnation, or at worst, the decay which is significantly drifting the moral ethos of our society, the Danburan Zazzau, Alhaji Sani Mohammed Shaaban, set up a committee to formulate modalities for a foundation to cater for the education of less privileged children in his community and support parents who cannot not finance their wards’ education.
Shaaban reasoned that good education can be life-changing, helping people develop to their full potentials and putting them on a path of success. He postulated that educating the less privileged, some of whom are gifted, could kick-start a circle of development. More educated children, when fully educated, can earn more money that they invest back into their families and communities and play more active roles in leading their communities and the country.
More so, the global economic crisis has significantly impacted on Nigeria’s economy, thereby undermining the willingness and ability of some parents to shoulder the responsibility of their children’s education, while simultaneously making it more difficult for the upkeep of their homes.
This demonstrates Shaaban’s vision of shared goals and collective action among governments, international organizations, civil society, media and the private sector, to change the educational prospects of children of the poor.
The foundation has since swung it action, first by awarding two outstanding graduating students of Therbow Secondary School Sabon Gari, Zaria. The students were the overall best in academics, morals and ethics. Another intervention by the foundation is at the Zaria Academy, nominated the philanthropist to launch two books authored by ex-students of the school.
The books; “Thoughts of A Deranged Realist” by Umar Manir Ja’afaru and “Basic Physics For SSS Students” by Salisu Hussaini Musa Bunkure, were launched on Saturday, July 22, the 2017 Prize-giving Day of the school.
Elated by the academic pursuits of the school, Shaaban donated, mobilised guests to donate and promised to spearhead fund mobilisation from his friends until the next graduating ceremony.
He aptly emphasised the need for quality learning as an important ingredient for future lives of girls and boys, but it is also an especially important ingredient in the circle of development that comes from education.
Shaaban opined that there are valuable lessons to learn from these initiatives, but more progress is needed, especially from wealthy individuals, corporate organisations, governments and traditional institutions for renewed and collective actions for advancing education. Doing so, will reduce the high rate of crime in society and build strong future leaders.
Musa wrote from Unguwar Dosa, Kaduna.
