Foundation takes safety campaign to schools

To strengthen students and school workers’ knowledge on how to effectively address and combat safety challenges in and outside school communities, Akin Fadeyi Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, has taken a sensitisation workshop to some public schools in the Bwari council area of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The foundation under its ‘Be Safe Initiative’ carried out the programme with the theme, ‘Empowered to Create Safe Spaces Online and Beyond,” and with support from the MacArthur Foundation.’

The founder and executive director of Akin Fadeyi Foundation, Mr Akin Fadeyi, declared in a statement, that “the Be Safe Initiative bears testament to the foundation’s continued commitment to bring about a positive behavioural change, gender equity and social inclusion among Nigerians anywhere in the country.”

The initiative, according to him, is simply designed to empower students and school workers with the requisite knowledge and skills to effectively address and stamp out from society or reduce to the barest minimum social vices such as corruption, cyber and physical bullying, extortion, gender-based violence and so forth.

Speaking at the event with participants drawn from some public schools including Government Day Secondary School, Bwari; Government Day Secondary School, Dutsen-Alhaji, and Government Secondary School, Jabi, the programme coordinator of the Foundation, Patience Ismaila, gave insight into the programme, saying all is about safety awareness and consciousness both physically and online among students, teachers and other school workers.

She said the rising cases of social vices some of which already stated, especially among students necessitated the training programme.

According to her, the workshop held recently, featured intense discussions, role-plays, advocacy drama messages (Corruption Not in My Country) and activities that reinforced the concepts of the initiative.

Ismaila pointed out that participants were also equipped to serve as champions of ‘Be Safe Initiative’ by extending the knowledge gained to their peers and others back home.

While noting that participants were given writing materials, including jotters, pens and manuals at the event, she explained that they shared their experiences and knowledge gained at the workshop with many of them promising to make good use of the knowledge gained and to also take back the message to their peers and communities.

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