RUPA Partners Amarok Society To Improve Education of Out-Of-School Children in Nigeria

A non-governmental organization, Rural Package Community Development Initiative (RUPA) and a Canadian-based NGO, Amarok Society have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to improve the education of out of schools children in Nigeria.

This was disclosed at a ceremony held at RUPA office in Abuja on Friday attended by members of RUPA National Executive Council and officials of Amarok Society.

The National Chairman of RUPA, Hon. Kingsley Ntui, signed on behalf of RUPA, while Dr. Tanyss Ida Munro signed on behalf of the Canadian organization, Amarok Society.

According to Hon. Kingsley Ntui, the MoU is anchored on the establishment of schools in Nigeria as a strategy to reduce illiteracy and boost educational system.

Hon. Kingsley Ntui described the partnership as a welcomed development and very strategic to the general development of education of poor children in Nigeria.

Also speaking, Dr. Tanyss Ida Munro said Amarok Society provides education to the very poor children in the society without access to school by teaching their mothers to become neighborhood teachers.

According to her, the organisation opened its first school in Bangladesh in January 2006, adding that many of the original students of the schools are now completing secondary school and a couple has progressed to university.  

“As of January 2015, Amarok operates 20 schools in Bangladesh, 1 school in Pakistan and is about to open in Nigeria through our partner, Rural Package Community Development Initiative (RUPA).  Amarok partners with Rotary International and has significant Rotary support in Canada, United States and some support in the UK. 

“The Nigerian model, the RUPA-Amarok partnership will target the 58 million out-of-school children world wide in a highly cost-effective way. Rather than building schools for children, very poor illiterate mothers will attend school for 2 hours (using existing infrastructure) every day. Mothers enrolled in these schools will then teach 5 neighbourhood children everything they learn in their own homes every day. Costs for educating children in this way are very low. Once children complete primary education at the neighbor-mother’s school, they can attend the Nigerian secondary school system”.