By Abbas Bamalli
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).
Zainab Abdulkareem, Director of the Department of Girl Child Education and Child Development, said the programme was designed to encourage students to pursue their education and achieve their goals.
“This programme is for you. The members of the Katsina State Children’s Parliament are here to help you achieve your goals as girls,” she said.
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, said the aim was to sensitise students and the public to the importance of education, child protection, and the challenges children face.
“We are taking this awareness drive across local government areas to enlighten communities on supporting girl-child education,” she said.
Sani added that the parliament remained committed to advocating policies and programmes that improve children’s welfare and future in the state.
She thanked the state government and development partners for supporting child-focused initiatives.
Hafsat Abdullahi, President, Child Right Advocacy Club, Government Girls Secondary School Mashi, educated the students on preventing gender-based violence and how to report incidents.
She urged parents to report cases instead of hiding them, warning that 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 (NAN) reports that Gov. Dikko Radda recently launched the Safe School Policy, which the parliament had advocated for.
NAN also reports that the governor approved and released N33million to support the parliament’s activities, including the sensitisation campaign.
On her part, Nabila Majigiri, a parliament member representing Mashi, said the campaign also addressed issues like malnutrition and child rights abuses among children aged 6 to 59 months.
“We are here to raise awareness about child education and the problems children face.
“We will also talk about child rights, protection, and how to help girls and all children achieve their dreams,” she said.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Muhammad Lawal
