By Adedapo Adesanya
The Katsina State Government in collaboration with the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) has disbursed N188 million as scholarship to 3,735 women under the Female Teachers Trainee Scholarship Scheme (FTTSS).
The Special Adviser to Governor Aminu Masari on Girl Child Education and Child Development, Mrs Amina Lawal-Dauda, made the disclosure on Thursday in the state.
She said the programme was aimed at enrolling young women from rural poor families to pursue National Certificate on Education (NCE) at Isah Kaita College of Education, Dutsinma in the state.
Mrs Lawal-Dauda said that after their graduation, the women would return to their respective communities to teach.
According to her, the scholarship would assist in addressing the issue of inadequate female teachers in primary schools in the state.
She revealed that the funds were being given to the beneficiaries from the inception of the administration to date.
The Special Adviser explained that the beneficiaries were young women with five credits in their O’Level and above from the 34 local government areas of the state.
She said that each woman was given N50,000 as scholarship annually.
Mrs Lawal-Dauda said that the women would serve as role model to young girls growing up, thereby assisting to increase women enrollment as teachers to advance education in the state.
She added that the scheme also serves as poverty reduction mechanism and help to enhance economic activities in rural communities in the state.
The Special Adviser further said that the government had expended N19.5 million to support 3,610 orphans and other vulnerable children during COVID-19 lockdown.
She also said that the department had undertaken advocacy visits to stakeholders on how to address rampant cases of rape in the state.
Modupe Gbadeyanka