Shettima gives scholarships to 525 herders’ children

Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima has awarded scholarships to 525 Fulani Herders Children of school age into the Most Expensive School in Maiduguri.Their Parents had been displaced to Maiduguri from different parts of the State due to the Boko haram insurgency and earn so little as security men to sustain them and their Families.

TVC News’ Kolomi Dala reports that the Prestigious El-kanemi College of Islamic Theology is a school attended by children of the well to do in the Society. Indeed, it is the most expensive School in Maiduguri and 525 children of Fulani herders residing in Maiduguri community have been given scholarships to attend this prestigious school.

They have spent just a term in the school and along with their Parents eagerly await the arrival of their sponsor, Governor Kashim shettima who remains passionate to see that they get the same access to quality education as other children.

The parents are full of praise for Shettima for providing their children the rare privilege.

Hassan Agulla , a parent spoke in hausa said: ” Before now, my children attended 202 Housing Primary school and had been there for 3 years. In a short time here they have improved tremendously in western and Islamic knowledge. They are well taken care of, the get uniforms, books, school shoes everything and even their behaviour has changed. Their health too. They are fed twice a day here and transported to and from school daily. I give my appreciation to Governor Kashim shettima ‘.

Another parent, Usman Hussaini. Peroji said: “I want to start by thanking the Governor for what he has been doing for our kids, I will say this gesture, I have not seen it done anywhere in the world. I have never seen someone taking up the responsibility of educating herders children without sentiments. When our children came back from school their behaviour had changed completely. They now speak English and Arabic languages fluently. I was born in kukawa, for generations, our clans had been in Borno State as herders, nobody ever helped our people in this way. We shall remain grateful to Governor Kashim Shettima.”

Halima Hassan, a beneficiary who also spoke in hausa said: “We are grateful, we are taught English language, Mathematics, the Quran, Arabic language and others. we are grateful to Baba Kashim Shettima for bringing us to this prestigious School, Elkanemi college. He Feeds us twice daily here, transportation to and from school daily. We remain grateful to him.”

Governor Kashim Shettima later gave the parents some food items.

The rare opportunity given to the children will hopefully close the educational gap, as this clan of Fulani herders have for centuries held on to the nomadic lifestyle and had been too unstable and underprivileged to give this kind of education to their children.