By Khalid Idris Doya
The wife of the Bauchi State Governor, Hajiya Aisha Bala Mohammed, has called on Tsangaya and Islamiyya teachers to ensure that parents take responsibility for the welfare and upkeep of their children enrolled in Almajiri education.
She said the arrangement would ease the burden on teachers, improve the welfare of pupils and help reduce cases of maltreatment among Almajirai.
Aisha made the call during a two-week training workshop for Tsangaya and Islamiyya teachers drawn from the 20 local government areas of Bauchi State.
The workshop, sponsored by the Nigerian Arabic Language Village (NALV) in collaboration with the North East Development Commission (NEDC), was held at the Hajj Camp Conference Hall, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa International Airport, Bauchi yesterday.
The first lady advised teachers to determine the number of pupils their schools could adequately accommodate, stressing the need to balance their teaching responsibilities with the welfare of their students and their own families.
She urged teachers to maintain regular communication with parents, ensure that they contribute to their children's upkeep and encourage them to visit their children periodically to monitor their welfare.
According to her, greater parental involvement would help reduce the hardship faced by teachers and curb cases of maltreatment allegedly inflicted on younger Almajirai by older students.
Aisha expressed satisfaction with the skills acquisition component of the training, noting that the initiative would equip teachers with practical knowledge they could pass on to their students, families and communities.
She commended NALV and NEDC for the initiative, describing it as a sustainable approach to empowering Almajirai and reducing their dependence on begging.
The First Lady said teaching people how to become self-reliant was more beneficial than merely providing temporary assistance.
She also pledged to continue supporting skills acquisition and empowerment initiatives through her Al-Muhibbah Foundation, urging participants to share the knowledge they had acquired with others in their communities.
Earlier, the Programme Officer of NALV, Dr. Fa'iza Garba, said the initiative was designed to reduce begging among Almajirai by equipping their teachers with vocational skills that could be transferred to their students.
She explained that the programme was being implemented across states in the North-East, with 100 participants expected to be trained in each state.
According to her, the training had commenced in Maiduguri, Borno State, and proceeded to Gombe before arriving in Bauchi. She added that the team would move to Yobe State after completing the Bauchi programme.
Fa'iza commended the First Lady for visiting the participants without a formal invitation, describing the gesture as evidence of her concern for Qur'anic teachers and memorizers.
She also prayed for Allah's reward for the First Lady, including Aljannah.
In his vote of thanks on behalf of the participants, Malam Aminu Ibrahim Gwasamai appreciated Dr Aisha for her visit and concern for Qur'anic teachers and memorizers.
He described her visit as a demonstration of her motherly disposition and commitment to the welfare of the people.
Gwasamai, however, appealed to the First Lady to support participants with start-up capital to enable them to establish small businesses and put their newly acquired skills into practice after returning to their respective communities.
The participants were trained in the production of incense and room fresheners, as well as interior decoration and painting.
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