The African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD) as part of her activities in the implementation of the Community Led Collective Action for Girls Education (C-CAGE) project in partnership with Malala Fund, Monday November 9th, 2020 commenced the commissioning of new peer learning clubs comprising of 9 safe space, 3 for each focal Local Government in Adamawa State.

The Peer clubs, which are holding in the 3 focal local government areas of Song, Numan, and Maiha twice a month, aimed at creating a safe space where girl can learn, build their capacity, and advocate for their right to education in the northeastern part of Nigeria.

A statement by Ms. Frances Igwilo, the Gulmakai Champion for Malala fund, said participants expected at the safe space are basically girls within the age bracket 11-20 who The clubs will have a mix of girls that are in school and those not in school.

This is essentially to promote peer learning. The club will hold meetings twice in a month with facilitators coming around to share/train the students on the importance of schooling and empower them with life skills. The idea of the club is to motivate other children who are not in school to get enrolled in school.

She enjoined parents and members of the public to join in the campaign for girl-child education, especially in northern Nigeria, and encouraged well-meaning citizens to follow proceedings of the Peer Clubs by following us on our twitter and Instagram handle @centrelsd and hashtag #Girls2School #Girls@SchoolAdamawa ####

More than 30 women and girls’ safe spaces have been established in northeastern Nigeria. These safe spaces provide opportunities to engage in several reintegration and empowerment activities, and also to receive one-on-one or group counselling services.

Safe Space Club for Girls by Centre LSD is mentor-led with support from community education advocate. The facilitators serve as mentors through training and teaching girls to complement government schooling and improving the acquisition of basic literacy, numeracy and vocational skills by girls.

Despite Nigeria’s huge wealth in natural resources, poverty is intense and widespread, especially in the north. The region has one of the world’s highest rates of early marriage and maternal mortality and the lowest rates of female literacy. The Maso Son Ilimi Safe Space is a Centre LSD girls learning hub focused on improving access and quality of schooling for rural and low-income girls in Northern Nigeria. Centre LSD works with in-school and out-of-school girls ages 11-20 residing in rural communities. Nearly all participants are from families with incomes below a dollar a day.

Since 2007, CGE has worked to advance girls’ education and empowerment through innovative programming, advocacy, applied research, and strategic partnerships. CGE was a pioneer in the adaptation of the safe space methodology to girls’ need for strengthened core academic competencies and mentored support as they attend understaffed and underfunded rural schools. The core components of CGE are: community engagement, mentored led safe spaces, subsidization of school fees, training for female teachers, and the nurturing of girl advocates. These components complement government schooling and have evolved over nine years of community-based research with girls, their parents, and community members in rural, Northwest Nigeria.

Masu Son Ilimi is a place where young women and girls gain self-confidence, develop leadership and become decision-makers in their own lives. Programmes are targeted to vulnerable groups of women, young women and girls (ie. out of school girls, teenage mothers, survivors of violence and indigenous women) • Young women serve as peer educators and mentors for other young women and girls providing positive role models and examples of young female leadership, alongside mentors of other ages • Maso Son Ilimi provide skills, knowledge and opportunities for young women to advocate for their rights directly with policy and decision-makers.

Through the safe spaces, young women and girls to discuss taboo subjects without fear or judgment.

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