By Faith Awa Maji, Katsina
United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) in collaboration with its partners and the Katsina State Government have launched a cash transfer programme to encourage parents send their school-age-children to school.
The cash project is funded by the Education Above All (EAA) Foundation, Qatar under its Educate A Child programme.
“The cash transfer programme will provide access to learning for the beneficiaries and help reduce the current number of 536,132 children currently out of school in Katsina State,” the Chief of UNICEF at the Kano Field Office, Rahama Mohammed Farah said at the launch in Mani Local Government Area of Katsina State.
According to him, “through the cash transfer programme, a total of ₦332,832,000 will be disbursed to 20,802 out-of-school children (OOSC) and the Almajirai in Kafur, Mani and Safana Local Government Areas.”
“The funds will be disbursed through 10,557 female parents/caregivers to increase school enrolment and attendance rates for boys and girls.
“Each female parent/caregiver will receive N8, 000 per tranche twice in 2022, amounting to N16, 000 per beneficiary.
“The cash transfer programme will also ensure that beneficiaries are enrolled and retained in any form of organized school, including Integrated Qur’anic Schools (IQS) and provided with literacy and numeracy skills linked to employability and livelihood schemes,” Farah said.
Also speaking at the ceremony, Governor Aminu Bello Masari said, “The partnership between Katsina State Government and UNICEF has yielded many positive results, not just in the education sector, but in other sectors in the state.”
“The Programme Implementation Unit for the cash transfer programme will monitor the programme closely and ensure that the beneficiaries make judicious use of the resources”, he stated.
