For two young Fulani nomads, Nura Muhammad Sunusi and Comrade Abdulrahman Umar, from Jigawa State, being products of nomadic education presented a challenge to them to see to the educational development of their kith and kins.
The zeal to see that the young ones in their communities also benefitted from the scheme and widen literacy in their communities led them to found the National Association of Fulani Volunteers on Nomadic Education (NAFVNE).
The sole aim is increasing access to western education for nomadic Fulani communities in the northern part of the country.
Interestingly, the two pioneers of the association are beneficiaries of nomadic education and now hold a BSc Management Information Technology (MIT) and BSc Industrial Chemistry respectively.
They said as nomadic youth ambassadors, they came up with the idea of founding NAFVNE with the primary aim of sensitising Fulani communities through nomadic education.
“After a careful study and wide consultation of the terrain of nomadic communities in Jigawa State, we consulted the Executive Secretary of the agency for nomadic education and Chairman of Farmers and Herdsmen Board in the state, who guided and counselled us.’’
They said since then they’re working closely with the agency for Nomadic Education in Jigawa State.
“Other objectives include enhancing access for nomadic children to elementary model education, assisting the nomadic child in developing and actualizing his ambition, and promoting peace and harmony between the nomadic Fulani and other ethnic groups,’’ they said.
According to these Fulani youngsters, they were motivated to run the schools for their fellow tribesmen out of their love to bring happiness to them in living peacefully with others.
“As an organisation, what motivates us is the happiness on the faces of those children each time they’re enrolled in school. Happiness is something to behold, it gives us unexplainable happiness in return. In this situation we are accommodating more than a hundred pupils per class.
“Truly, we wish we have the much-needed capacity to do more for them, hopefully, we shall get there soon.”
Our achievements
“We have achieved a lot so far. Currently, we have more than 250 volunteers in Jigawa State alone, and there are five pilot primary schools under our supervision. One was built with an office at Bulliti village of Lafiya Ward in Birnin Kudu Local Government Area of the state.
“We have others as temporary schools at Kwanar Kulba in Birniwa LGA, Zuzu village in Gurri LGA, Mataran Kano in Kirikasamma LGA and Batali village in Babura LGA.’’
They said they were able to recruit 1, 000 volunteers who now teach in these schools, adding that there are no fewer than 5,000 attending classes under the scheme.
According to them, they’re operating their scheme skeletally, as they hire ad hoc teachers and call for volunteers for teaching roles, adding that the volunteers understand their financial status as a non-profit organization. “We only provide the basic resources for them to operate. So far, so good, we have not allowed the odds against us to hold us down, because the will to thrive is stronger than our challenges.
“Some of the schools are built with two classes with offices and some are not built but run under tree shade. Concerning learning materials, of course we are lacking such materials especially textbooks and others,’’ they added.
On financing the scheme as an independent association without any source of finance, whenever an issue arises, the members tax themselves to tackle it squarely. Hence the association doesn’t depend on the federal, state, local governments or non-governmental sectors or institutes. “We don’t depend on anybody, financially,’’ they said.
These young Fulani graduates said they see a very bright future for the association because more Nigerians are getting aware of the need to give quality education to the needy and the nomads especially. They said parents and community leaders are really appreciative of their effort.
“Nigerians know the importance of education in national development. We are leaving no one behind,” they said.
Though they acknowledge that they’re faced with a myriad of challenges, they say they will not allow them to deter or derail their focus from the association’s vision and goal.
“If we must say, then insecurity and paucity of funds will top the list of our challenges, but these will be a thing of the past in the country, in sha Allah,” they said.
The Executive Secretary agency for nomadic education in Jigawa State, Ramatu Muhammad Dodo told Daily Trust that NAFVME is collaborating with the agency for nomadic education for more than four years and helping in many ways.
She said: “They assist the agency in achieving its mandate by increasing access, retention, and completion of basic schools.
“The also assist in transition of nomads to senior school, attending of health facility by the nomads, sensitizing communities on clashes management, and proper reporting system,’’ she added.
The Executive Secretary said these focused Fulani youths have also succeeded by establishing and building a school at Bulliti nomadic community in Birnin Kudu local government and employed voluntary teachers.
“Recently they resolved an issue between nomads and government staff on land; and again pursued for admission to nomads to study health at Jahun School of Health Technology.
“We are now partnering with them in searching of out of school children among the sedentary nomads, split nomads and the mobile nomads,’’ she added.
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