Bunu Turning Point
My enrollment in the ECW project has become a turning point in my educational pursuit as I almost gave up on schooling. Mala Bunu, a 13-year-old boy currently in level 2 at Junior Secondary School Gajiram, dropped out of school for four months due to lack of scholastic materials prior to the project intervention sponsored by Education Cannot Wait (ECW) at the location. During a Back-to-school campaign with parents and caregivers at Ali Kachallari community in January 2022, Mala’s mother was in attendance and she listened to the message we gave to the community on the ongoing ECW project and the components it carries for children and the community at large. On getting home, Mala’s mother told him about the education project and the importance of him going back to school. The following day, Mala enrolled in JSS Gajiram and immediately started attending classes. Mala is now one of the many beneficiaries of the scholastic materials distributed to learners at the location. During an interview with Mala Bunu, he stated, “My enrollment into the ECW project has become a turning point in my educational pursuit as I almost gave up on schooling.” As part of his appreciation, Mala thanked UNICEF through ROHI for their effort towards children and quality education delivery. The scholastic materials distributed to learners have served as a motivating factor to the learners in their quest for knowledge, thereby increasing their self-esteem and desire for education as most parents and caregivers could not afford much for their children. In the same vein, Mala is now participating in Interactive Radio Instruction (IRI) learning sessions and Psychosocial Support activities at the school, JSS Gajiram, in Nganzai LGA, Borno state.