The mandate secretary Women Affairs Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Adedayo Benjamin-Laniyi, said the administration was partnering with the Peace Institute of Science, Technology, Engineering Arts and Mathematics (STEM) Camp Project, to ensure quality education and skills acquisition for vulnerable children, in the nation’s capital.
Speaking at one of the Camps at the LEA Primary School, Kagini, the mandate secretary, FCT Women Affairs Secretariat,Dr Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi said that vulnerable children in the territory, especially orphans, would not be left behind in accessing quality education and useful skills.
In a statement by the deputy director/head of public relations department of the secretariat, Josie Mudasiru,
Benjamins-Laniyi said the administration headed by the FCT minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, and the minister of state, Dr Mariya Mahmud is very passionate about inclusion of vulnerable children and orphans in it’s education and skills acquisition programmes.
Speaking earlier, the permanent secretary, FCT Women Affairs Secretariat, Alhaji Adetoyi Kolawole described the initiative as wonderful, adding that the programme is already having positive impact on the children based on the feedback from participants.
Kolawole, who had visited the Camps to ensure effective coordination, lauded the FCT Administration for providing a conducive environment for learning, just as he also thanked the staff and volunteers for ensuring a smooth camp.
Also speaking, the founder of the Peace Institute, Professor Hauwa Ibrahim said the idea was given birth to when she was invited by the former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, to train the Chibok Girls.
Ibrahim, who is a Professor at the University of Rome, said that the alternative to violence is to imbibe in people a superior mindset, starting with children, adding, “If we catch them young, we might be able to get it right.”
She disclosed that the Peace Institute was constituted in 2016 with 40 percent of the board members from Nigeria, while the remaining 60 percent are from all over the World.
Speaking further, Prof. Ibrahim said that The STEAM Camp Project is just one out of many other projects of The Peace Institute, adding that it is the major one which has brought foreign students into Nigeria in the last five years.
According to The Professor; ” We have been in Five States in Nigeria, twice in Nigeria. This year, we were invited by The FCT Women Affairs Secretary, Honourable Dr Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi and I am here with Five Students, Four from University Of Rome, where I teach, while one is from Penn University in the United States of America.
The Five Foreign Students are Anna who teaches Science, Malthide who teaches Technology, and David, a Columbian who teaches Engineering.
Others are Angelica, an Italian Student who teaches Arts and Silvio, a Brazilian, who takes the Children in Mathematics.”
