SILVER SPRING, Md.--Through an ongoing distribution of more than 25,000 new books to schools in northwestern Nigeria, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is improving the quality of education for thousands of students in that region, and helping communities discover the opportunities that reading can provide.
"This is our first shipment of educational supplies to Nigeria, and we are very pleased with how successful it has been," said David Holdsworth, director for Material Acquisitions for ADRA International. "At ADRA we are certain that these materials will encourage many young people to achieve their educational and professional goals."
This latest shipment of books, donated by Pennsylvania-based Brother's Brother Foundation, is valued at more than $775,000, and is part of ADRA Nigeria's Healthy Minds Project, which seeks to improve learning among Nigerian pupils from kindergarten through secondary school. By the completion of this project, more than 11,000 youth between the ages of four and 17 will have received access to much-needed educational materials.
"Through an enhanced library collection, students, teachers, and parents will have the print resources they need to complement classroom instruction and extend their learning beyond their classes," said Tomi Daniel, director for ADRA Nigeria's northwestern regional office.
The donated books cover a wide range of topics, including mathematics, social studies, reading and general sciences.
The first phase of the book distribution, which was completed on July 30 with the assistance of ADRA volunteers, provided books to nearly 10 schools in Ife, a city in southwestern Nigeria, and shipped off to the towns of Ibadan, Akure, Benin, Jos and Kaduna, where they will be distributed to local schools during the second phase of the distribution, which will begin at the end of September.
"We originally thought we would get the books and send them all to the schools," said Daniel. "However, several of the student volunteers repeatedly inquired as to when they and their friends would have the opportunity to read the books they were helping to sort."
In response to these requests, ADRA has reserved approximately 500 books that will be available at the ADRA office in Ife to help start a reading program. Five of the volunteering teachers have offered to provide assistance for children with learning disabilities.
"Because of this donation, the recipient schools are a great deal richer, in terms of books and supplies," added Daniel. "We are especially grateful to ADRA International, and the donors that gave us books of such fantastic quality at absolutely no cost."
ADRA is a non-governmental organization present in 125 countries providing sustainable community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, race, or ethnicity.
For more information, visit www.adra.org.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
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