Retired Courts of Appeal President, Justice Zainab Abubakar Bulkachuwa, has launched a scholarship scheme, the Adda Girl Education Foundation, which inaugurated the pioneer beneficiaries made up of 50 girls from Nafada Local Government Area of Gombe State.
The ADDA foundation selected 50 girls from Nafada Local Government as its first set of scholars in the first phase of the scholarship scheme, intended to later select girls from across the three senatorial zones of the state, particularly Gombe, Balanga and Akko LGAs.
Speaking at the inauguration, the founder, Justice Bulkachuwa said the girls were selected across all levels of education of primary, secondary, state, and tertiary.
Internship, and job placement
“We will support them with school supplies, tuition fees, breakfast and monthly stipend, mentoring, internship, and job placement. We will ensure that an “ADDA girl” gets the best education to reach the heights in her career,” said Justice Bulkachuwa.
She said the motto of the foundation is “from cradle to leadership” was aimed at supporting the girl-child right from the time the girl is identified up to the time she becomes a leader, visualising a society where every girl will have access to quality education.
“We will ensure that her education can open doors for her and guarantee her a seat at the decision-making table. She will be confident enough to discuss intelligently, proffer solutions, and cascade knowledge gained to her community. We are committed to the development of future leaders of Nigeria. We will adopt an only-girl school and create a cohort of young girls and render them lifecycle support from early childhood through adolescence to become highly productive citizens who will become leaders,” said Justice Bulkachuwa.
She said the foundation would empower girls and young women, as well as assists families, communities, and the entire state in escaping the cycle of poverty and achieving a higher standard of living.
Initiative and work
Justice Bulkachuwa, therefore, urged everyone to join hands with the initiative and work collectively for enhanced development of Gombe state, saying it has become critical to pay attention to the status of the girl-child in the state, going the number of girls the state has.
She, however, said she believed in the power that education had to unleash the potential of the girls.
The Presiding Justice, Court of Appeal, Gombe Division, Justice Hannatu Jummai Sankey, who was the keynote speaker during the inauguration, said the event reminded everyone about their responsibility to give girls the importance and protection they deserved.
Justice Sankey called on everyone to work in collaboration for girls to have a happier life, saying the motor of the foundation covered all the development stages of a girl’s life.
“We all join hands and together work towards a happy and healthy girl-child, with a safe and a progressive environment to facilitate her education,” said Justice Sankey.
She said it was equally imperative to recognise the rights of the girls and the problems they faced so that they could have a better life and future.
Lateefah Ibrahim
