BA Enabled Trip to Nigeria November 8th to November 23rd 2007

A Ray of Hope
UNESCO Youth Ambassador for the Culture of Peace

Pamela McLean

This trip was taken to do some voluntary work as a teacher, and to do a reality check on some grass-roots projects.

The grass roots projects are DIFN (Development Initiative for Nigeria), OCDN (Oke-Ogun Community Development Network) and Fantsuam Foundation.  The voluntary work is on a training programme for teachers and trainers.  The training programme is called "Teachers Talking" and is an introduction to ICT (Information and Communication Technology).

I flew into Lagos on 8th November and was met by Yomi Oloko, director of DIFN.  On 9th November I travelled to Ibadan with DIFN administrator and trainer, Mercy Isaac, where we met Chief Gbade Adejumo, chairman of OCDN.

Chief Adejumo had planned my programme with  OCDN.  It was a full programme,- including visits to Ago-Are and Okeho as well as meetings in Ibadan.  I will mention some of the key meetings. In Ago-Are I presented some educational books to Mr Timothy Oyawale, for the Peter Oyawole Memorial library, caught up with events at the InfoCentre, and visited a local school which is making use of the InfoCentre facilities. In Okeho I visited a micro-finance programme, and a school which is taking part in the Teachers Talking programme (supported by the manager of the Ago-Are InfoCentre - Pastor David Oyebola Adeso). In Ibadan I attended a meeting with Professor Francis Egbokhare (Director of the D.L Centre), Dr Tunde Adegbola (Director of ALT-I), Chief Adejumo and Pastor David to discuss ongoing collaborative projects. The progress being made is very encouraging.

On Thursday November 13th - I flew to Abuja, and travelled on to Kafanchan to work with Fantsuam Foundation.  I presented a new training course within the Teachers Talking (TT) programme, for ICT trainers at Fantsuam Community Learning Centre.  I also worked with two teachers from Jos who attended a previous Teachers Talking programme and are now sharing the programme with nine schools in their local chiefdom.  I was visited by the chairman of the Kagoro Town Hall Committee who has recently taken over responsibility for the development of a "multi-media centre" there. We made plans for ongoing collaboration and support, and I also made a site visit.

Before I went on the trip I was concerned about what was happening on the ground, because of lack of feedback.  However what I saw was evidence of continuing progress, driven by local commitment.  People were appreciative of my visit and declared themselves to have new courage, and to be "energised".  I too was encouraged to continue.  Without BA's generous support the trip would not have taken place.  I express appreciation not only for myself but also on behalf of all my contacts, collaborators, and friends at the grass roots level.

Pamela McLean