The Young Women of Africa (YWOA) has donated 60,000 writing materials to schools across the country as part of efforts to promote education and empower the girl child.
The donation was made during the official launch of the Nigerian chapter of the organisation in Abuja, held in commemoration of the 2025 International Day of the Girl Child, themed “EmpowerHer: Her Struggles, Her Voice, Her Future.”
Speaking at the event Thursday, the Country Head of YWOA Nigeria, Ambassador Asmawu Idris, said the initiative was inspired by the desire to support girls who are eager to learn but lack the basic tools for education.
“This particular initiative I brought is just to tell them that they are more than enough for themselves. They need to be educated; they need to go to school.
“Many of those willing to attend classes do not even have writing materials. I thought, why talk about education when the children do not even have pens and books? So, I decided we must do something.”
She explained that the project, which covers all six geopolitical zones, was conceived to encourage school enrolment and retention, particularly among girls in underserved communities.
“I took it upon myself to ensure that we distribute 60,000 writing materials to schools across the country. It is not just about handing out items; it’s about showing these children that someone believes in them and their dreams,” she said.
According to Idris, YWOA’s intervention goes beyond donations. The organisation, she said, has also sponsored 50 students who sat for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) as part of its educational empowerment scheme.
In her remarks, Comrade Precious Banda, President of the Young Women of Africa and a pan-African advocate for women’s empowerment, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to ensuring that no girl is left behind.
“We are going to work with every other country to ensure that no one is left behind. Together, we can create opportunities that expand the consciousness of young women and give them the confidence to take charge of their future. When we invest in girls, we invest in the growth and strength of our nations.”
Delivering the keynote address, Fwangwen Sandra Bamun, Country Secretary of YWOA Nigeria, underscored the need to dismantle barriers that limit young women’s access to education and opportunity.
“They say, ‘When you educate a man, you educate an individual; but when you educate a woman, you educate a nation. But how do we educate a girl whose voice has been buried beneath neglect? How do we empower a young woman whose dreams have been traded for survival?”
