TheIam3rd Initiative

Pad a Girl | Feed a Child | Gender Based Violence (GBV) Sensitization | Kids-Teach-Kids Mobile Library Project

About the Project

We currently in partnership with members of the Voice for the Assault, Pad-Up Creations, and Zoe Kids Montessori to execute the Pad a Girl, Feed a Child & Gender Based Violence Sensitization program – while also laying the foundations for the Kids-Teach-Kids Mobile Library pilot Program which is a more capital-intensive project – at major IDP campsites in Abuja, Nigeria (for the meantime), where we shall be providing clean; 100% chemical-free, eco- friendly, washable and reusable sanitary pads for at least 2000 girls and young women annually (ages <12-35) through the course of each single-phase program/outreach. In the future, we intend to be able to, in conjunction with the aforementioned activity, visit camp sites with a Mobile/Vehicular Library to engage young people (ages 5-16) – in order to help improve their reading and writing skills with the help of other kids their age that have better educational backgrounds, thus creating a flexible and amiable learning ambience and challenging the underprivileged kids as to the possibility of being just as educated as the kids teaching them – all while providing healthy snacks and protein-rich food staples to the children and young people (ages 0-25) through the heads of their households, which we currently execute periodically under the theme “Feed a Child”.

The Kids-Teach-Kids Mobile Library Project In-depth

PROJECT SUMMARY

TheIam3rd Initiative Mobile Library and KTK Outdoor Readers Hub is a novel approach to addressing the dearth of school or other local libraries for kids (both in-school and out-of-school) living in underdeveloped towns and districts; our focus in this particular project is IDP Camps in the FCT exclusively. It will be set up to run monthly on Saturdays. Each of those Saturdays, a specially outfitted vehicle will deliver a modest collection of picture books and early literacy resources to one of the target IDP Campsites (which lacks a nearby library), allowing curious kids and teenagers in those regions access to literature. As part of the mobile library, the van will also transport a small selection of foldable chairs, floor mats, and gazebos/canopies that will be assembled into an outdoor reader’s hub upon arrival in the host community. Here, an average of 100 children and teenagers can gather to read exciting books and take part in the Outdoor Readers Hub activities led by peers with better educational backgrounds, such as special book readings, quizzes, poetry recitals, etc. The mobile library/KTK Outdoor Readers Hub is intended to run 4-hour reading sessions and a second general session for other worthwhile non-reading activities that would last for 2-hours. Additionally, we will eventually run a book lending program in each IDP village visited, enabling voracious readers to borrow books and return them to a designated community book club Rep once finished.

Underprivileged Kids Engaging an In-door Mobile Library System

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Children in socioeconomically challenged areas of Nigeria have low levels of early education and reading. According to a 2013 UNESCO report, the majority of children who live in underprivileged areas suffer tremendously from a lack of access to basic education and structured learning. Early childhood education and family and community learning options for children living in such communities, particularly female children, have not been provided by government education and literacy initiatives. This has had a number of negative effects, including the absence of a reading culture among many kids. Numerous studies also reveal that a concerning number of young people in Nigeria lack access to 21st century skills and are at a high risk of being unemployable, becoming pregnant as teenagers, living in poverty, and getting involved in crime. This can be attributed in large part to inadequate educational preparation and a lack of a reading culture. In keeping with this, only a smallnumber of public school libraries, neighborhood libraries, or even community learning centers exist nationwide. These places act as knowledge and idea incubators and are essential for developing a constructive and forward-thinking young culture – hence our passion to play a significant role in the remediation of the viral challenge especially amongst IDPs.

OBJECTIVE

In order to improve the general knowledge capacity and competitiveness of displaced, poor, and disadvantaged children, as well as to promote healthy use of community recreational spaces, the goal is to promote early literacy and a reading culture among children living in poor and disadvantaged communities (such as IDP Camps).

PROJECT TARGET

The project will focus on underprivileged kids in IDP camps, particularly females who lack access to high- quality learning opportunities and relevant exposure that comes from having access to books. Children from low-income households, those who attend subpar community public schools, and those who do not participate in any formal educational programs will eventually be included in the program. An estimated hundred (100) kids and teens will have access to books and literacy-enhancing activities every Saturday. The IDP communities that will eventually be targeted will be those that are considered to be the most disadvantaged and have little access to social infrastructure like good roads, power, sound public schools, good housing, sanitation, local security, conventional health facilities, youth centers, or a public library. The IDP communities involved will experience the Mobile Library/Outdoor Readers Hub at most twice every month on rotation.

PROJECT VALUE PROPOSITION

1. This project is based on the idea that a child must meet a number of prerequisites early in life in order to develop the necessary abilities and a mindset to contribute to society and be relevant in the twenty-first century. A reading culture from an early age is essential among such foundational factors. The Project will therefore foster an early reading culture, basic knowledge, global trend awareness, critical reasoning abilities, as well as a general competitiveness which the backgrounds of such children do not naturally foster, by introducing books to poor and socially disadvantaged children in IDP Camps.


2. The Project will further effect to lessen issues like teen pregnancy, crime, and low innovation or enterprise growth among Internally Displaced youth by making literature accessible, which in turn exposes the mind to ideas and lofty ambitions.


3. The KTK Outdoor Readers Hub & Mobile Library Project will act as an intervention to fight idleness, gang/motor park loitering, and criminal vices among youth living in underprivileged IDP communities in addition to addressing the issue of a lack of libraries and community centers. The project will also provide a new form of beneficial group recreation and collective usage of outdoor communal areas within IDP campsites.

PROJECT FUNDING SOURCES

In addition to any initial funding, TheIam3rd Initiative for the KTK/Mobile Library project will work to attract funding from corporate entities and brand owners who have goods and services that are advertised to children in order to assure its survival. Such businesses and brand owners may sponsor branded items at our “outdoor reader’s hub” like gazebos, roll-up posters, or souvenirs and refreshments, as well as pay to advertise their goods or services on our Mobile van. The Project costs, including secretarial services, transportation, car maintenance, personnel expenditures, etc., will be covered by these sponsorship and advertising fees. The library’s book collection will also be maintained through regular periodic sourcing through community donation channels. We will go to publishing houses and ask for donations of children’s books. Additionally,we will make calls and announcements to the public via social media, local radio, and television, asking them to donate booksand other materials for early literacy from their own libraries, writer’s associations, and other relevant organizations.

SCALE-UP POTENTIAL

The Project is initially intended to launch across the major IDP communities in Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory. With more resources however, the project has the potential to scale up significantly, so that instead of visiting just one community every other Saturday once a month, in later phases, a small network of Mobile Libraries and an Outdoor Readers Hub shall operate concurrently in at least five underserved communities on a Saturday of each month. Eventually, on each Saturday acrossthe largest poor IDP villages within each state’s coverage area, a state-wide network of mobile libraries and Outdoor Reader’s Hubs will be practical when functioning at an optimal scale. This might consist of 20 to 30 Outdoor Reader Hubs across the country and mobile libraries that are assembled on the weekend once a month. Given the pervasiveness of the fundamental problem in the country, the Iam3rd Kids-Teach-Kids Mobile Library Project has the potential to be duplicated across all 36 Nigerian states, including the Federal Capital Territory, with measurable derived impact and advantages.

This three-fold project is aimed at restoring a sense of belonging and social inclusiveness to Internally Displaced persons while educating them to enable them become a more functional part of the society and restoring the dignity of the girl child even as we aim to fulfill our small part of the global WASH initiative.

How You Can Get Involved In This Project

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