The Amazing Schools Project

Building a community through education

Enabling youth by providing child centered education – Building the future by developing a community

Why?

Dutsen Wai is a rural community in Kaduna state, Nigeria. The illiteracy rate in this area unfortunately is higher than 80% amongst adults and children. After the terror reign of Boko Haram even in this area, families find it still hard to trust formal school education in the bigger cities nearby.

Poverty also is a reason that keeps children away from being schooled.

Usually, educated people will leave this area for the city or working abroad, thus development is further slowed.

Dutsen Wai is a rural community in Kaduna state, Nigeria. The illiteracy rate in this area unfortunately is higher than 80% amongst adults and children. After the terror reign of Boko Haram even in this area, families find it still hard to trust formal school education in the bigger cities nearby. Poverty also is a reason that keeps children away from being schooled. Usually, educated people will leave this area for the city or working abroad, thus development is further slowed. The Amazing Schools Project wants to bring education to the rural areas. Filling a gap in the provision of education for the rural community does not only require a different approach to schooling but also involves answering the very specific needs of the community. In order to achieve this, The Amazing Schools Project provides education for free, focuses on basic educational needs and uses a very child centered approach to teaching. It is further planned to establish technological support for the teachers in order to provide the children of Dutsen Wai with an education that will strengthen their roots in the community and at the same time will provide the knowledge and preparedness for our globalized world.
The Amazing Schools Project wants to bring education to the rural areas. Filling a gap in the provision of education for the rural community does not only require a different approach to schooling but also involves answering the very specific needs of the community.

The Amazing Schools Project wants to bring education to the rural areas. Filling a gap in the provision of education for the rural community does not only require a different approach to schooling but also involves answering the very specific needs of the community.

In order to achieve this, The Amazing Schools Project provides education for less than $5 per child, focuses on basic educational needs and uses a very child centered approach to teaching.

It is further planned to establish technological support for the teachers in order to provide the children of Dutsen Wai with an education that will strengthen their roots in the community and at the same time will provide the knowledge and preparedness for our globalized world.

Our Team

The Amazing Schools Project wants to bring education to the rural areas. Filling a gap in the provision of education for the rural community does not only require a different approach to schooling but also involves answering the very specific needs of the community.

Adesuyi Emmanuel Tosin

Is the founder and initiator of this project. But first of all he is an inspiring teacher who wants to make a difference to all the children in the community where he grew up.  He is passionate in education and organizes everything from teaching, to building a new school, to social media and connecting with authorities.

The Amazing Schools Project wants to bring education to the rural areas. Filling a gap in the provision of education for the rural community does not only require a different approach to schooling but also involves answering the very specific needs of the community.
Ulrike Suwwan, co-founder and backer stands in front of a graffiti

Ulrike Suwwan

is co-founder and mentor to The Amazing School Project. As a well established international education consultant she oversees the pedagogical setup of the project, connects to donors and supporters and backs as a philanthropist the major part of the project.

Our Students

In order to understand the nature of our project, it is important to understand about the area our school project is situated and what are the challenges there to be a child in this community.

Our school is located in the  rural community of Dutsen-Wai, Kabau Government District of Kaduna State, Northern Nigeria. The population of this area are in the majority of Hausa tribe, followers of traditionally Islamic belief.

The Amazing Schools Project wants to bring education to the rural areas. Filling a gap in the provision of education for the rural community does not only require a different approach to schooling but also involves answering the very specific needs of the community.

In the past the area has been plagued with by the terror regime of Boko Haram. “Boko Haram” means “Education/ Knowledge is forbidden by religion.” The group so had targeted schools in general, but especially if these were co- educative or schools for girls.

In the mean time many so called Islamic scholars have opened up “Almajirri” schools in huge numbers, which now form one of the major challenges to the development not only of the youth but also to the society in general. (find out more here).

The Amazing school project started about two years ago in Dutsen-Wai. It all started from just teaching rural children under a tree, before we moved to a shed. In April 2018 the school moved into a makeshift building. We have grown from a small population of just about 20 students when we first started to about 400 students now -from just one teacher to 5 teachers now.

The area is mainly inhabited by farmers. The area is very famous for their agriculture products. During the rain period nature offers abundance of greenery, fruits and vegetables. During dry periods work available is very little, which means hardship for the population.

Traditionally families are big and it is hard for the bread winners to feed all. Many families see themselves forced to give their young boys away to the “care” of the above mentioned boarding schools of so called scholars.

At the same time, girls are given to get married at very young age, often as young as 13 years only. Most of the kids in this area have never entered any formal education institution. The same goes with their parents’ generation.

If kids are sent to school, it is expected, that they must find a job in the city or even abroad after they graduated. They will have to finance the family, but only very few will come back to use their acquired knowledge to build and develop their original community.

Also the curriculum offered at the city schools does not meet the the requirements of the rural community, but does rather prepare for the requirements of the work in industrial areas of the cities or abroad.

The major challenges children face in this rural community:

  • Poverty (Many children lack even the most basic care and nutrition.)
  • Hunger (Many children are forced to go hawking on a daily base for food scraps)
  • Abuse (“Whipping through so called scholars is considered standard by most adults.)
  • Exploitation (Many children are forced to work on the farms for a living)
  • Brain wash/ Radicalization which leads to them being send to conflict zones as children soldiers.
  • Illiteracy keeps the next generation being further depended to other people that will share their knowledge only at good will. They will not be able to truly take part in any democratic processes, critical exploration or self- led innovation. This keeps another generation away and behind the technology of a globalized world.
  • Children grow up with no future prospects which ultimately attracts them to criminal groups
About our students and their challenges you can find out here.