School Projects

January 2012
Jos, Nigeria
Amina Zwindila Foundation School

Dedicatee:
Andreas Galler
Andreas Galler

Access to free education for poor, unsheltered children in Nigeria

From 59 to over 350 students – we support Nigerian Amina Zwindila's passion project and ensure that 350 poverty-stricken children receive an education which they would otherwise have no access to

Nigerian Amina Zwindila set up her own school, to provide free education to children who cannot afford it. This is exactly the commitment needed to push developing countries forward. Financial assistance is necessary for these private initiatives to succeed. Our support will ensure the continued work of the Amina Zwindila Foundation School.

 

This school and its classrooms have been dedicated to Andreas Galler and a team of Lyconet Presidents. On behalf of our beneficiaries, we would like to thank them for their commitment and devotion to the school and its cause.

Nigeria – a country searching for a salvageable future

Nigeria is Africa's most populous country, has an enormous amount of natural resources at its disposal and after years of military dictatorship is slowly transitioning into a democracy. Yet the economy is at a standstill and there are still many challenges to overcome.

Military Presence and Terror in Nigeria

Ethnic conflicts between the Muslim north and the Christian/Animist south are causing extreme shortage when it comes to education. The government does not guarantee that public schools can be attended.

Slums and poverty in Nigeria

Together instead of egoism

In developing countries, there are those who were fortunate: they came from well-to-do families and had the opportunity to receive a good education. Many of them move abroad or if staying, live in an insulated, higher social class.

In Nigeria, the illiteracy rate is approximately 30%, with the percentage for women at 50%. Even though compulsory schooling supposedly applies in the country, approximately only 50% of school aged children attend school. Over the last 30 years, the country's investments have sunk from 12% to approximately 4%. This means that as well as not having enough space for teaching, the quality of the education is also lacking. Those who are able send their children to private schools or, even better, abroad.

In developing nations, ideally, the wealthy would start concerning themselves with the poor.

There are those who do not turn away from the suffering in their country. Amina Zwindila is one of these people. A native Nigerian, she is the founder of the eponymous Amina Zwindila Foundation School. She wishes to lighten the burden of the less fortunate and help them towards a better future.

Equal opportunities for children in Nigeria

The more people climb out of poverty, the more others will help as well.

Amina Zwindila believes that people who have received help towards better opportunities are grateful, thus passing this spirit on and helping others out of poverty.

Create educational perspectives
Create perspectives
Education initiative

Wide-reaching self-initiative

Because of these circumstances Amina Zwindila felt the need to act. She initiated a private school project in order to create free access to education for poor children and children in need of protection. She started with a nursery group with 5 children and was able to apply for a school license after 2 years.

When the Child & Family Foundation first started cooperating with Amina Zwindila Foundation School in 2011, 79 students were enrolled. By 2020, 350 students from Jos and surroundings received a solid education here.

Sustained and long-term commitment to education

At the beginning of our cooperation, we supported the Amina Zwindila School in meeting the running costs of the school operations, such as costs for teachers, food, electricity, water and educational material. In the following years, the school project was gradually expanded.

Education extends the future

There were missing education materials replaced, furniture renewed and expanded, new teachers set up, and a small feeding program for the nursery school children installed.

What started as a small project a visionary grew to a solid school program on its way to an independent school administration.

Increase educational offer
Minimize child poverty through education
Together for education

Property creates a clear perspective for the future

In April 2016, when we received a generous donation that enabled it to purchase the entire plot of land and the building for the Amina Zwindila Foundation School in Jos, the relief felt by the school's founder Amina Zwindila was immense.

Prior to this, the school's future as a provider of education to around 350 pupils had been more than just uncertain. The previous owner had announced plans to sell the land and property, which meant that the school would have had to halt operations. Thanks to the CFF, the school's future is now safe and Amina's hopes of helping poorer members of society to gain access to a high standard of education have finally been fulfilled.

Renovation ensures the school’s long-term existence.

However, purchasing the plot and school building wasn't the only thing on the agenda.

To provide the children with the best possible learning environment, the Child & Family Foundation didn't hang around when it came to starting with renovations

Sustained and long-term commitment to education

Progress raced along so quickly that the building could be officially opened and blessed as early as July 2016.

Water for children in poverty and education

A well for clean water

As the Amina Zwindila Foundation School was built on the arid Jos Plateau, the school struggled initially with water shortages. Our project partner, the Greenfinity Foundation found a remedy:  they hesitate built a solar-powered well directly within the school’s grounds, which runs cost-effective and inexpensive.

Create education
Perspective future
Together

Now pupils have drinking water, there are sanitary facilities and there is enough water for keeping the school clean and tidy, which all results in preventing the spread of dangerous diseases resulting from unclean water and thus improve the pupils’ and teachers’ quality of life as a result.

A solar-powered well as a first step towards independence.

The well-construction project perused an additional intention: Water had to be bought in at a high price. The well should provide the Amina Zwindila Foundation School with a way to support itself. The water, that has flowed from the well ever since, is more than enough to supply the school. In fact, the school is even able to sell some of the precious liquid providing an additional source of income.

Water elixir of life
Educational qualities create water through basic provision
Strengthen educational opportunities

At a glance

Projekt Info
Project Goals

Supporting Amina Zwindila School to ensure its continued functionality.

Projekt Location

Jos, Nigeria

Project period
ongoing since January 2012
Convenantee group

In 2020, 350 students from Jos and surroundings, who would otherwise have no access to an education, enrolled in the school.

Project partner

Amina Zwindila Foundation, for orphans and the less privileged

Results
  • Contributing to running costs of the school
  • Investing for lacking school utensils and increasing the number of teaching staff
  • Renewal of furnishings
  • Development of a feeding program for kindergarteners
  • Purchase of land plot to ensure future existence of the school
  • Renovation of school buildings
Amina Zwindila Foundation School