Inclusive Young Leadership Academy (YLA) 2016

As part of the activities to commemorate KIR Foundation’s Global Action Month for Education; KIR Foundation is organizing the 3rd Annual Inclusive Young Leadership Academy (YLA) to build the capacity of the newly elected prefects of twenty (20) selected secondary schools; Private, Public and Special schools in Rivers State.
The Inclusive Young Leadership Academy will hold at the Conference Hall University of Port Harcourt Business School in Rivers State, Nigeria on Wednesday, 25^th May, 2016. Last year, the theme for the Global Action Month 2015 was ' Vote for Education' and fourteen secondary schools participated in the Inclusive Young Leadership Academy (YLA).

The Inclusive Young Leadership Academy (YLA) has two sessions; the Training session and Advocacy session. Furthermore, during the advocacy session, special guests and the participating student leaders will discuss their views on what they could do to support education and transform their world. The aim of the advocacy session is to encourage the young leaders to stimulate thought processes and be solution minded.

 The objective of the Inclusive Young Leadership Academy (YLA) is as follows:

-           To build the leadership capacity of the newly elected prefects in secondary schools.

-           To provide tools for the prefects to become mentors and peer educators in their individual schools so that they can become leadership trainers to their peers.

-           To create the much needed awareness and advocacy for inclusive education, and in the process Peer Advocates. (Last year, KIR Foundation was able to raise One Hundred Peer Advocates).

The Global Campaign for Education (GCE) is a social movement dedicated to ensuring free and equal access to quality education around the world. One of the major activities of GCE is the Global Action Week; in which all partners - including KIR Foundation, are called to advocate for and champion the provision of quality education. Last year, the theme for the Global Action Week 2015 was 'Vote for Education'. This year, GCE encourages stakeholders and partners as well as students to focus on ‘Education Financing’ as a theme. The theme gives us the opportunity to advocate for robust funding to support quality education for all. KIR Foundation’s theme for the event is “How Financing Education will Transform our World”.

The KIR Foundation’s Global Action Month for Education which began on the 24^th of April and will conclude with the Inclusive Young Leadership Academy on the 25^th of May 2016 encourages stakeholders; civil societies, youth groups, teachers, students, as well as individuals to explore educational activities for global citizenship.

KIR Foundation commemorated the International Book Giving Day

KIR Foundation commemorated the International Book Giving Day on the 14th day of February 2016, by donating 127 books to Street Child Care Welfare Initiative in Lagos State (SCCWI), 153 books to Ikoyi Prison in Lagos State and 95 books, plus numerous educational supplies to selected vulnerable children of Central State Primary School Igwuruta in Rivers State.

KIR Foundation appreciates Farafina/Kachifo Limited for donating 730 new books and Tom Charles Nwoke for donating 150 gently used books to support KIR Foundation’s Book Drive. Kindly remember to donate your new or gently used books to KIR Foundation. Please drop the books at KIR Foundation Inclusive Resource and Rehabilitation Community Centre; Plot 8, Road 112 Federal Housing Estate Amadi-Ama, via Haritz Dry Cleaners, Off Peter Odili Road Port Harcourt in Rivers State.

SHOE MAKING TRAINING (2016)

Ten (10) out of school youth with disabilities were given the opportunity to increase their skill set by participating in the Advanced Shoe Making Training organised by KIR Foundation from the 15th to 26th of February 2016.

Femi Kayode, one of the beneficiaries of the Advanced Shoe Making Vocational Skill Training Project and a 20 year old graduate of the Special School for Handicapped Children (S.S.H.C) said that, “through the training he  had taught how to make and repair shoes”.

KIR Foundation wants to set up an inclusive start-up youth hub by our next financial year ( in September 2016), to provide office space for young entrepreneurs with and without disabilities. Kindly donate to KIR Foundation to enable us establish the Inclusive Start-up Youth Hub. Keeping It Real Foundation Ltd/GTE – 0052683160 GT Bank Account.

GSM and Computer Repairs Training at the Special School for Handicapped Children (S.S.H.C)

Barinaale Yaana Giigii is a 20 year senior secondary student of the Special School for Handicapped Children (S.S.H.C). He is one of the fourteen (14) beneficiaries of the GSM and Computer Repairs Vocational Skill Training organized by KIR Foundation.

In November 2013, KIR Foundation started vocational training for the senior secondary school students of the Special School for Handicapped Children (S.S.H.C). The project was for nine (9) months with thirty-six (36) students as participants.  Consequently, since 2013, KIR Foundation has trained 145 in and out of school youth with disabilities in sixteen (16) different skills; GSM and Computer Repairs, Shoe Making, Ankara Craft, Bead Making, Photography / Videography, et cetera. Currently, the vocational skills training Project, is organized once every term at the special school.

Barinaale is really excited about his newly acquired skill and in his feedback after the training he said, “I have a dream of becoming a computer engineer.  The GSM and Computer Repairs training has given me the opportunity to understand some of the things I will need to know. I am also going to teach others this skill because there are so many of us who are Deaf who need to learn a skill because there are no jobs.”

KIR Foundation Vocational Skills Training Project, reinforces the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals by providing support; empowerment, advocacy and social inclusion for persons with disabilities and promote Goals 1, 4, 8 and 10 of the Sustainable Development Goals. The best performing trainee will receive a Starter kit containing the basic equipment necessary to offer GSM and Computer repairs services. Also, the trainee will have an opportunity to intern with the trainer. Michael Lawrence, the GSM and Computer Repairs trainer said that, “the Deaf senior students of the Special School were easy to work with and were very fast and eager learners”.