Improving Education Where It’s Needed Most

In a country where over 10 million children are out of school, Nigeria faces one of the world’s most urgent education crises. In rural areas and underserved communities, public education is chronically underfunded and teachers are left without adequate support.

This project, running from April to November 2025 in Ondo State, Nigeria, offers a concrete, locally tailored response. It was initiated by Cooperation for Children and co-developed with Kids & Teens Resource Center, a grassroots Nigerian NGO. Based on an in-depth needs assessment conducted by Kids & Teens Resource Center, the project targets the most pressing obstacles in public schools and delivers practical solutions adapted to the local reality.

Locally Anchored, Internationally Supported

The project is primarily funded by the Embassy of Switzerland in Nigeria, which has contributed $10,000. It is also co-funded by Cooperation for Children with an additional $1,500. Oversight is ensured by the University of Geneva, in collaboration with Cooperation for Children. The Ondo State Ministry of Education supports implementation by facilitating access to schools, validating selections, and ensuring alignment with regional education strategies.

Key Results

• 800 children attending a 6-week summer learning program to strengthen basic literacy and numeracy skills
• 200 children receiving full school kits, including uniforms, shoes, socks, writing materials, and textbooks
• 200 teachers trained in inclusive, student-centered pedagogy
• 25 classrooms equipped with whiteboards and markers
• 2,000 students reached through a one-day ICT Awareness event

The summer program is designed to offer educational continuity for 800 vulnerable children during school holidays, giving them a safe and supportive space to learn and catch up. In parallel, 200 of the most disadvantaged pupils are equipped with full school kits to prepare them for regular school attendance. These interventions are complemented by teacher training, classroom improvement, and digital awareness activities all working together to strengthen public education from the ground up.

Beyond these numbers, the project includes after-school tutoring, parent engagement sessions, and community awareness campaigns to create long-term support for public education.

Why It Matters

This initiative is not a top-down intervention. It is the result of close collaboration with local actors and a response to real, identified needs. Many children in Ondo State are excluded from education not because of lack of will, but because of poverty, logistical barriers, or a lack of supportive learning environments.

Behind the statistics are individual stories: children who don't have much chance to enter a classroom, teachers trying to do their best without tools, and communities that care deeply about education but lack resources.

Our Approach

This project is guided by three core priorities:

Empowering students by removing social and material barriers to learning

Equipping teachers with the training and tools they need to improve classroom quality

Engaging communities to foster sustainable, local investment in education

Every activity is designed to be transparent, accountable, and impact-driven. By focusing on what’s already working and strengthening what’s missing, the project creates real, measurable change.