IDP children eager to learn – Army tutor
How do you find teaching at the camp? I can say the programme is yielding results. When we started, if you ask a student, “What is your name?” he would not know it. They couldn’t speak English and most of them don’t understand Hausa language. But soon, some of them started communicating fluently in […]
How do you find teaching at the camp?
I can say the programme is yielding results. When we started, if you ask a student, “What is your name?” he would not know it. They couldn’t speak English and most of them don’t understand Hausa language. But soon, some of them started communicating fluently in Hausa and, very few, in English.
How enthusiastic are they in learning?
When we started, the first month was difficult because everything was new to them, so many of them were not concentrating. But now, when they wake in the morning and see me, they would shout my name, “Oga Sunday!” and start running to school. Initially, if you asked them what they will love to become in future, they would say farmers or herdsmen. But now they would tell you that they want to become doctors, soldiers, teachers or lawyers. You can clearly see how education has impacted their lies. The female students now tell you they want to go to the university, unlike before when they were more interested in getting married at the age of 11 and 14 years. To my surprise, even parents support girl-child education with lots of passion. The female children would tell you that if their parents forced them to marry early, they would report them to the government.
You said there are orphans here. How do you identify and handle them?
We easily identify the orphans, even before we are told. They look sad and lonely but we always keep them busy in class, with sports and entertainment. Most of the orphans are undergoing serious trauma because of the loss of their loved ones and so they lack parental care. That is why we comfort them.
Can you share with us some of the challenging moments you had with these pupils?
The most challenging moment I have in teaching here is communication. As a person coming from the southern part of the country, I have never spoken Hausa before. They don’t understand English here, so we started learning from each other. Now, I know how to speak three native languages in the camp. If you recall, when the missionaries brought religion to Nigeria, we found it difficult to accept, but as time went on, Nigeria became one of the few countries that have good Christians and Muslims. We are here on a mission to convert Boko Haram insurgents, using education as a tool. We have achieved this by educating and disabusing the minds of children. They would go back to their communities and live like any other Nigerian.
What subjects do you teach?
I teach English, civic education, social study and agriculture. Hygiene was very poor when we came in. You will see children with flies perching on their eyes, mouth and nose. That is no more the case. They don’t complain of stomach ache any more. What we did then was to introduce personal hygiene as a subject and it worked.
Do you teach them counter-insurgency subjects?
Civic education and social study take care of that. In social study, we teach them culture, religion and how to live and tolerate each other. What will impress you is their level of assimilation. They are more enlightened; they don’t go to chemists to buy drugs now because they go to hospital. Their major problem is exposure and, gradually, they would overcome it.
How do these pupils impress you?
They are fast learners and appreciate everything soldiers do for them. The males will tell you that they want to become soldiers and some of them say they want to become teachers. They have different ambitions and they are all striving to realise them. Personally, I am fulfilled because I have touched some lives positively. Of course, it’s not easy to live in IDPs camp.
How did you learn to speak three different languages?
When we came, only one person in our team speaks Hausa and he alone cannot take all the classes. I forced myself to start learning to speak the local languages because that is the only way we can communicate effectively with the students.
How difficult was it learning the languages?
I cannot say it’s difficult, because peoples’ ability differ when it comes to learning new languages. My father speaks 11 different languages. I believe that there is no language I would come across and be unable to learn it. I speak Orobo, Edo, Efik and other languages. So, I learn languages easily. Now, I can speak Hausa, Kanuri and Fulfulde. I have interest in learning languages so for me, it’s not difficult.
For how long have you stayed in the North?
I have not been here before. The only northern part of the country I have been to is Zaria, when I was on training. After that, I was posted to Lagos. I served in Lagos, Ilorin, and went back to Lagos before I was posted to the North-East.
When did you join the Nigerian Army?
I joined the Nigerian Army in 2003.