Five Cowries Initiative Rolls Out Home Learning Kits For School Children

1,800 school children in Kaduna State and Ogun State were among the first in Nigeria to receive their “My Story of Water” worksheets on Tuesday 10 June, courtesy of the Five Cowries Initiative (FCI).

Across Nigeria, schoolchildren have been forced away from their classrooms as a result of coronavirus prevention measures. The last three months of nationwide school closures have left a large portion of Nigerian children–who lack comprehensive access to the internet– disconnected from meaningful learning platforms. So far, as Nigeria’s COVID-19 numbers continue to climb each day, the prospect of children returning back to school appears far off and risky. This educational limbo has made it clear that there is a need to fill the current learning gap. Five Cowries Initiative has stepped up to this challenge by developing ‘Home Learning Kits”,  a creative way to keep school-age children motivated, occupied, and positive during this nationwide school closure.

The worksheets, which require no access to electricity or data, are part of a fuller alternative education plan, keen on exploring the use of arts in nurturing creativity in education. They will be used in conjunction with other supporting activities such as a weekly thirty-minute radio show incorporating lessons, storytelling, current affairs, and call-ins led teachers. In facilitating the journey of learning, the 1,800 children who receive initial worksheets will continue to receive subsequent worksheets–in line with the learning schedule, every two weeks over four months. While distribution is yet to begin in Lagos State, FCI has been developing creative programmes with the Ministry of Education and the State’s  Commissioner of Education, Folasade Adefisayo is an active supporter of the “My Story of Water” project. With the distribution of 1500 worksheets set to commence across SOS villages this week, Five Cowries Initiative aims to replicate it’s current successes nationwide. To achieve this Five Cowries is working closely with technical and implementing partners including, Teach For Nigeria and SOS Children in developing the educational content and DHL in delivering the sheets across the nation. Committed to fostering the preservation of indigenous languages, the worksheets are currently available in Yoruba, Igbo and French will soon be translated into Hausa and Kanuri.

To emphasize the impact of the project and the need for continued support,  Polly Alakija, Founder, Five Cowries Initiative said:  “There is ample room for growth and evolution in the education sector and now, we have an opportunity to scrutinise mainstream teaching methods. Through these kits, we are able to provide structured learning for children across several learning platforms that still encourages playfulness and aids creativity.” Speaking first hand on the usefulness of the worksheets, Nene Ibezim, a Teach for Nigeria Fellow in one of the communities said, “The children are excited to start working on the activities in the worksheet–they love hands-on experience. The rest of the villagers wanted worksheets for their own children as well. Currently, there is no other intervention in the village for schoolchildren so, the worksheets are a godsend. My kids felt really special receiving the worksheet.” The practicality and intentionality of the worksheets creates a sense of belonging for many communities that have felt ignored and underserved during the course of this pandemic.

The coronavirus pandemic is showing us ways that we can rethink current education models. Five Cowries Initiative Home Learning Kits provide guidance on how we can sustain education in the midst of confusion from the pandemic. By providing structured learning that compliments the current curriculum but is also fun and engaging, this project opens up interesting possibilities that elevate the role of education in our communities.