Notions (Enabling Progress)

I went for a lead assessment with my ENACTUS team Unn. Our first stop was in a Community secondary mixed school. 

I don't really want to delve into our aims of going into the school, but i just want to point out something I observed while in the school. On our way to the principal's office, I just started hearing whistles. 

Aah, ọ gịnị kwa na-eme

My mind was not even drawing a parallel to what was happening. I was like, "why are these guys howling like animals, the males in their midst were those exhibiting this behaviour by the way.

Then I heard a team mate say, "I'm used to it"

Mgbe ahụ ka O click sharp sharp

These niggas were catcalling the girl. She has a voluptuous figure.

I was stunned, nearly flared up and even forgetting ihe mmadụ bịara that place Ịnye.

Here are kids, obere ụmụaka who we were looking around, to source for problems that are affecting them and try to proffer solutions to their problem and the response we get is this!

These are dumb attitudes, and we see it everyday in our society. It was disrespectful, for me. I don't know if I'm over-reacting especially when the calls were not directed at me, but still.

It's these kinda people that will grow up and resort to insults when someone they approach rebuff their advances. Amarọ dị m ebe ha sị mụta all these things.

My annoyance is that we were not exactly given the rein to conduct our assessment cos according to the Principal, we should get a document to authenticate the project we are carrying out.

***

There was no how we were going back without any tangible thing at hand and so we went to another school, an all girls school this time around. It was really a refreshing experience for me, to interact with the teachers and students. Surprisingly, we were given a warm reception, and an open arms by the principal.

The students too, were cooperative. Infact, Ka m kwuo eziokwu, ụjọ nọkwa na-atụ m maka na-amaghị m the kinda response I would have gotten from them.

It was my first attempt at this kind of inquiry, and it's a remarkable and expository experience. This is what #ENACTUS represents. A body of students who come together to seek for Social problems and source for ways to turn the solution into an entrepreneurial action while making it sustainable for a better society. 

But I digress.

Now this is a community secondary school too, and I saw the flicker of hope when we were talking with the Administration, owing to the state of the facilities that they have. We got to know that they had only one computer in the whole of the school, just one! 

That's very sad, especially now that we are in a digital era where every single thing is becoming online and instead of these kids to be equipped with technological skills, they barely have any.

The curriculums are not even better. We were told of the lack of science materials to conduct experiment. When I was talking to some group of girls, they chanted with pride, "We are in science" like it's some sort of ticket to heaven, because for some reason, that automatically secures their seat in this despondent country.

I just managed to tell them to try to learn a skill, anyhow they deem fit. They should learn, especially if they don't get admission and thus remain at home. I tried to emphasize the glaring reality that the country does not exactly care for them, so it's man for himself.

***

Times like this, I'm reminscent of my secondary school days, because considerably, we had adequate facilities of learning. I could not draw a parallel between what I saw and what I went to.

***

The education system in most remote parts of  this country is pathetic. Infact, one of my team mates was telling us that these schools we are seeing are very much better than what they saw in the North inducing me to erupt into a sardonic laugh. 

***

Well, I'm optimistic that we will brainstorm to get sustainable skills for these children. I'm grateful for clubs like ENACTUS that gives us the front for Enabling Progress in our society. 

P.S: The second picture is during our assessment at the All girls secondary school. I was behind the camera taking shots of our interview.