For her, staying back at home is more honourable than going to school in torn sandals. Halimat’s daily problems stem from mockery, intimidation from peers and distance she had to bear to school in her worn-out sandal, and this disparages her enthusiasm for learning.
‘I am always sad and shy because of the condition of my shoe, and I decide to be at home most of the time rather than going to school,’ Halimat explained.
The likes of Halimat and other students with similar tales continue to quench the flame of education in Nigeria, making education a hard nut, difficult for vulnerable children to crack.
However, Halimat is blameless for her fate, her parents are not the villains in her story either. Abject poverty and economic hardship hinder many parents’ desires to keep their children in school. This situation outlines one of the numerous factors triggering Nigeria’s unenviable status as the country with the highest number of out-of-school children in the world.
It is estimated that the number of out-of-school children keeps increasing due to poverty and economic hardship. Globally, this puts Nigeria as the country with the highest number of children deprived of education, only behind India and Pakistan.
The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) 2020 Model on out-of-school children published in 2020, states that almost 20 million Nigerian children are out-of-school.
Unarguably, the cost of school sandals in low-income nations is one of the dominant obstacles to educational opportunities for poor and vulnerable students. Yet very few people or government policy often scrutinise this cost through a critical lens.
However, Halimat’s joy knew no bounds, her frail hope was renewed after an initiative visited her school to distribute school sandals which increased her enthusiasm for learning.
‘I am very happy to go to school, now that I have school sandals and feel confident to play around with my colleagues,’ she told this reporter, beaming with joy.
An Initiative’s Response
In Nigeria, a significant number of students including those in government schools attend school without proper footwears. While this is often linked to poverty, displacement, and a lack of resources, particularly in underserved communities, an initiative has emerged and changing the narrative.
In a bid to promote dignity, boost school attendance and empower children of the vulnerable population, Sandal Initiative Project (SIP), a youth-led initiative in Kwara State focuses on distributing pairs of school sandals to students with torn sandals, or none at all.
Born out of the needs to abridge the blunt reality of vulnerable students in public schools across the three senatorial districts in the state, Sandal Initiative Project partners with the Association of shoe manufacturers in the state to address part of the challenges facing the educational system in the country through provision of free sandal, thereby drawing students back to classroom.
Driven by enthusiasm and pertinent role of sandal, Mr Kale Ibrahim Jimoh, the founder of Sandal Initiative Project, who doubles as producer of the school sandal, revealed that footwear plays a crucial role in uplifting children’s potentiality to learn.
He said, ‘As someone who attended public schools, you will understand that proper footwear is more than just a basic necessity, it’s a game-changer for underprivileged kids. It levels the playing field, boosts confidence and unlock their full potential.’
He said the initiative is rendering service for free, emphasising that his skill as shoe producer motivated him more into the task. ‘It is a free collaboration, I am into leather work, so I started inviting some well-meaning youths and we have been doing it wonderfully together till date.’
During one of the outreach, Mrs Ekundayo Ayobami Comfort, a teacher at Isare Opin school in Kwara State, praised the visionary drive behind the initiative and the positive impact it had on their students.
‘The Sandal Initiative Project has made a significant impact on our students’ education, we have seen improved punctuality. It has restored self-esteem, and reduced truancy. We are grateful for the support and pray God will continue to enlarge them,’ she prayed.
How the Response Works
In order to reach a wide range of students, SIP networks with a group of organisations and dignitaries in the state in providing children’s footwear at school. Since its inception in 2020, ‘Sandal Initiative Project’ (SIP) has provided pairs of school sandals to more than 2,000 students in public schools.
The objective of SIP is to reduce the mala-adaptive behaviors among the pupils and put a smile on students’ faces. The initiative serves as an eye opener to the grim reality and challenges students face as a result of non-conforming school sandals.
Mr Kale said, ‘It is saddening and alarming to see high numbers of students in public school going to school without acceptable sandals or with no sandals at all.’
He further assured of their initiative’s resolve to give their best. ‘While we may not be able to reach every child at a go, but, we believe in reaching out to as many children as possible,’ he declared.
More Pairs to School Sandals
Kwara State First Lady, Professor Olufolake Abdulrazaq, who doubles as the Chairperson of the Nigerian Governors’ Spouses Forum, in one of the SIP outreach distributions which she sponsored, asserted the right of every child to access quality and affordable education.
‘Children’s footprints have a significant impact on society as those prints convey them towards a shining future,’ she said, while commending the positive impact and pledging her support for the initiative.
According to her, the initiative is aimed at ensuring comfort for school children where they can joyfully walk to their classrooms, ready to learn and excel irrespective of their backgrounds.
Speaking with this reporter, Mrs Ibrahim Saadat Maimasa, who is a teacher at Halimat’s Dada LGEA primary school, expressed her admiration for the initiative.
Saadat described the demeaning condition of children without school sandals as a threat to their health and self confidence.
‘We were always worried about the way some of our students used to walk barefoot to school though we do send them back home. Some of these children used to get diseases due to walking barefooted to school and this also deterred them from mixing with their other colleagues in school,’ she added.
She expressed her belief that the vision of Sandal Initiative Project to return out-of-school is achievable, adding that, ‘Now they are complete as students because their uniforms are good already with proper school sandals.’
The Initiative’s Challenges
Despite the successes recorded in less than five years, the SIP is without a challenge as an initiative.
Mr Shafihi Abdulrasheed Oladimeji, director of media and publicity for project SIP, explained that the initiative faces challenges in the course of providing sandals for vulnerable children, especially funding and distribution of sandals.
As a humanitarian initiative, most of its services come from donations from members of communities and dignitaries. However, the initiative believes funding is still a major challenge preventing the initiative from its full exhibition.
‘Our main challenge is funding. Though, members who identified with this initiative contribute their quota in every edition. We also receive support from philanthropists within the state. Those who believe in giving back to society,’ he explained.
As the initiative reaches its peak capacity with rendering its service, SIP demands surveillance from people and members to extend their services. ‘We approached potential sponsors for our production numbers to be increased, thereby benefiting more vulnerable students.
‘Sadly, few people turned up. Hence, financial constraints are one of the challenges we faced. But we are never deterred, we always keep the ball rolling because we could see the joy on the faces of beneficiaries,’ he added.