Rochas Okorocha, the Founder of the Rochas Foundation and former governor of Imo State, has launched a new initiative called the Teach a Child/Sponsor a Child Project. This initiative aims to address the issue of out-of-school children in Nigeria by targeting one million of them and bringing them back to school. Okorocha announced the project during its unveiling in Abuja on Tuesday, as detailed in a statement released by the foundation.
During the launch, Okorocha emphasized the nation’s responsibility to provide every Nigerian child, including those yet to be born, with the right to education as a means of liberation. He highlighted the alarming statistic that Africa has over 50 million out-of-school children, with Nigeria accounting for 13.5 million of that number. He expressed optimism, stating that if one million individuals could commit to teaching or sponsoring a child, the situation would significantly improve. Okorocha lamented that while Nigeria has built political parties, hotels, churches, and mosques, it has neglected to establish factories that nurture dreams and aspirations.
Reflecting on the past two decades, Okorocha expressed disappointment that education has not improved as he had hoped. He pointed out that with Nigeria’s population exceeding 200 million, mobilizing one million citizens to teach and sponsor children could effectively eliminate the problem of out-of-school children. He outlined that the project would operate as a volunteering and mentorship program, aiming to reintegrate all out-of-school children by the year 2050.
Uchechi Rochas, the Director-General of the foundation, echoed Okorocha’s sentiments, stating that the greatest investment a nation can make is in its people, which in turn enhances productivity across various sectors. She emphasized that the launch of the TAC-SAC project would encourage stakeholder involvement from all sectors to combat the issue of out-of-school children. Uchechi noted that the loss of the spirit of volunteerism has contributed to the staggering number of 13.5 million children not attending school.
She warned that an uneducated child could become a source of crime or terrorism, underscoring the urgent need for educational empowerment. Uchechi highlighted that empowering these 13.5 million children would also empower their families. Furthermore, she pointed out that a significant portion of these out-of-school children are female, reinforcing the importance of getting all children into classrooms. She concluded that empowering the girl child is crucial for the empowerment of the nation as a whole.
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