H4CC to Use Drama, Playlets to Promote AGILE Alternative Education Program in Kaduna
By Femi Mustapha
The AGILE Alternative Education Program, a collaborative initiative between the World Bank and the Kaduna State Government, will employ drama and playlets to effectively disseminate information about sexual and reproductive health (SRH) to the public, including adolescents.
Hadiza Umar, Team Leader and Co-Founder of Hope for Communities and Children (H4CC), announced this during a two-day stakeholders’ meeting in Kaduna.
According to Umar, these methods create a comfortable environment for discussion, enhance engagement, and facilitate the sharing of personal experiences.
This approach helps build trust and encourages open conversations about sensitive SRH topics.
During the engagement, Hajia Hadiza Umar explained that the purpose was to inform stakeholders about the SRH Program, initiate discussions for proposed SRH outreach across the 12 focal Local Government Areas (LGAs), agree on key messages, and develop a six-month action plan.
She stressed that the project, implemented by H4CC, aims to address the challenges girls face in accessing education due to cultural, social, and religious barriers.
Hajia Hadiza noted that the engaging and entertaining nature of drama playlets helps people feel more comfortable discussing SRH topics, which are often considered taboo.
She indicated that stakeholders would collaboratively create playlets that align with the cultural and religious beliefs of the community.
Some participants observed that playlets could catalyze discussions, allowing community members and volunteers to share their personal stories and concerns related to SRH, including the challenges some girls face regarding menstruation.
It is important to note that the AGILE Alternative Education Program is a joint effort between the World Bank and the Kaduna State Government.
The program has made significant strides in empowering thousands of adolescent girls in the state. Implemented by H4CC, it has successfully enrolled 37,053 adolescent girls and mothers across ten local government areas, providing them access to basic literacy and numeracy classes.
Currently, around 3,500 enrolled beneficiaries are receiving instruction in basic literacy, numeracy, and life skills across the ten LGAs.
Additionally, over 10,000 pregnant young mothers and caregivers among the enrolled beneficiaries have benefited from Positive Parenting (Early Childhood Development) group sessions. A total of 78 mentors have been recruited and trained to implement literacy, numeracy, and life skills activities throughout the ten LGAs.
Overall, the AGILE Alternative Education Program is making a significant impact in empowering thousands of adolescent girls in Kaduna State. Its success serves as a model for other initiatives aimed at promoting education and empowerment for girls.
