Group supports underprivileged girls with learning tools
Mr. Umesh Amarnani,
• Targets 50,000 girls across Nigeria
As part of efforts to address the challenges confronting the girl-child and enroll them in school, a non-governmental organisation, Evolve, in collaboration with Polaris Bank, are set to impact over 50,000 underprivileged girls.
The group said the move is part of its commitment to address the problem of global warming through intervention in girl-child education in Nigeria.
The Evolve programme, which was launched in 2020, is designed to impact over 50,000 direct beneficiaries and 200,000 indirect beneficiaries in the next five years.Speaking on the impact of the project, the Managing Director, Pacegate Limited, Mr. Umesh Amarnani, said the project is aimed at empowering the girl-child, curb global warming and make impacts in the communities.
According to Amamani, Pacegate is committed to building a more sustainable and responsible environment where every girl-child feels valued, empowered and can contribute to the society.
“We strongly believe that through the schools’ supplies provided, value-based education being taught and support received from sponsors, the girl-child will have access to a higher level of educational opportunities,” Amarnani added.
He explained that the group reaches out to public secondary schools across the country, providing girls with learning tools, including school uniforms, sandals, writing materials, exercise books and bags to over 10,000 female students in 32 schools across nine states.
To make teachers 21st century compliant, Amamani said the organisation launched ‘Inspire’ programme in 2022 to impact educators.
“The initiative is a value-based education enrichment programme aimed at assisting teachers to develop a heart-centred approach to teaching. The focus is to enable teachers take a holistic approach towards students growth using 21st-century styles of learning,” he added.
Asides Polaris Bank, Amamani said the organisation has benefitted from other partners to achieve its mission of empowering girls.
“These partners include OVH Energy Marketing, now NNPC Retail Ltd, Bic and Crownstar, who supported with school supplies, as well as Hill and Knowlton strategies, a PR consultancy agency supporting with media and publicity.”
Also commenting on the initiative, Polaris Bank’s Group Head, Customer Experience Management and Sustainability, Bukola Oluyadi, said: “We recognise that education and youth empowerment are the most significant indicators of social progress. Our commitment to these has been the drive for the empowerment of the girl-child and thus the partnership with Evolve. Since 2021, we have partnered with Evolve and adopted several schools across Nigeria to cater for the needs of the girl child.”
