Fatima Muhammad Fagge, a deputy zonal coordinator with the Kano State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), facilitated the establishment of about 80 women Islamiyya schools where women are taught religious and western education across the state. Malama Fagge is the proprietress of Manarul Huda Islamiyya schools. In this interview, she explains how she runs the schools and the associated challenges 
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO ESTABLISH SCHOOLS FOR THE WOMENFOLK?
It started way back in 1988, when the elders of Fagge community, including Islamic scholars, convened a meeting and resolved to establish an Islamiyya school for married women, because at that time there was none in the area. It was at that meeting that my father offered to give me out as a teacher in the school. By then, I had completed my Grade II and was teaching under the Universal Basic Education Board. Based on the certificate I had then, they appointed me the head of the school when it finally took off. We started with two classes of about 50 students and had six teachers, including myself.
HOW DID YOU COME TO OWN 80 SCHOOLS?
As I said earlier, we started with only two classes of 50 students, within a short time, the school recorded massive enrolment that forced us to use people’s houses as classrooms. Gradually, women from other places began to request for the establishment of similar schools in their areas. That was how our schools continued to spread, reaching other local government areas of the state. For now, I have opened about 80 schools in 12 local government areas, comprising Fagge, Municipal, Nasarawa, Dala, Ungogo, Kumbotso, Dawakin Tofa, Tarauni, Dawakin Kudu, Minjibir, Bichi and Gezawa.
HOW DO YOU SOURCE FOR TEACHERS?
At first the teachers were sourced from outside, then I persuaded some of my friends to assist, but that did not last long because their expectation was higher than what I was paying them. Sometimes they got N200 at the end of the month as at that time, so they were not happy with that. To address the issue, I decided to look inward. I, therefore, adopted the Qur’anic school method where the senior students are instructed to teach the junior ones. We selected the best from those that graduated and posted them to other classes to teach. Through that method we were able to have enough quality teachers for all our schools. Now we have over 200 teachers. It will, perhaps, baffle you to hear that what we are paying them is just a token, because at the end of the month, they get not more than N4,000. They are doing it as a contribution to the provision of education to the womenfolk.
WHAT DO YOU TEACH IN THESE SCHOOLS?
These schools are primarily established to educate married women about their religion. So we teach Qur’an, Hadith, Jurisprudence, Arabic, Poems and other Islamic sciences. At our secondary level, we added English language and Mathematics.
WHAT ABOUT FUNDING?
Our main source of funding is the school fees that the students pay. At the beginning of every term, students pay N500 each as school fees. But you should know that as small as this fee is, there are many that can not afford it and we still allow them to continue in the school. In fact in our local government areas, even N100 is hard to get from the students, but we do not send them back home.
Apart from the school fees, we also have charity coffers where students contribute whatever they could and with it we run the schools and even engage in some charity activities, such as providing food to in-patients during Ramadan, assisting in wedding activities of the less privileged and other humanitarian aids.
HOW DO YOU COORDINATE THESE SCHOOLS?
I tour my schools from time to time to see how they are faring and I get feedback from the local government areas through some of the students saddled with leadership responsibilities.
WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES YOU ARE FACING?
Our main challenge is funding. The meagre amount that we are charging as school fees is too small for our numerous activities. For instance, the fuelling and servicing of our bus that is used to transport our teachers to the local government areas and for touring to monitor the schools over N100,000 in a month. It is from this little fund that we are paying our teachers the meagre N4,000. Most of these schools we are still running them in people’s houses; we are yet to have our own structures. There are some areas that we have plots of land but we are unable to develop any because of lack of funds. If I can get the money that will build huts for me, I’m ready to build them and use them as classrooms.
Another thing that is disturbing us is lack of vehicles that we can use in touring our schools. We received two buses from former Governor Ibrahim Shekarau and the Shari’ah Commission but because of the hectic activities, the buses got grounded. Though we tried hard to revive one, it will not be sufficient for us.
ARE YOU NOT RECEIVING DONATIONS FROM INDIVIDUALS OR ORGANIZATIONS?
There is no organization, either here or abroad, that is assisting these schools. As for individuals, we have a few people that have been contributing, most especially with sewing machines for our graduating students. I know the incumbent governor, when he was the deputy governor, he had assisted us through his foundation. There is also the wife of the former governor, Hajiya Amina Shekarau, who is still donating machines to our graduates.
I want government and individuals, including the Zakkah Commission, to come to our aid, so that we can continue to give education to our teeming women. Let them know that it is the responsibility of government and parents to give education to its people. Since we have made a giant stride on this path, they should assist us to reach our objectives.
Our schools are not just for imparting knowledge, they also give moral training so that if you relate with our students, you will find them to be of good behaviour. We have received numerous commendations from husbands for making their wives to be good partners. And there are other places where we are wanted to open our schools. If we have strong backing, we can reach all local government areas in the state and give the women the opportunity to acquire education and morals.
Culled from: Daily Trust
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO ESTABLISH SCHOOLS FOR THE WOMENFOLK?It started way back in 1988, when the elders of Fagge community, including Islamic scholars, convened a meeting and resolved to establish an Islamiyya school for married women, because at that time there was none in the area. It was at that meeting that my father offered to give me out as a teacher in the school. By then, I had completed my Grade II and was teaching under the Universal Basic Education Board. Based on the certificate I had then, they appointed me the head of the school when it finally took off. We started with two classes of about 50 students and had six teachers, including myself.
HOW DID YOU COME TO OWN 80 SCHOOLS?
As I said earlier, we started with only two classes of 50 students, within a short time, the school recorded massive enrolment that forced us to use people’s houses as classrooms. Gradually, women from other places began to request for the establishment of similar schools in their areas. That was how our schools continued to spread, reaching other local government areas of the state. For now, I have opened about 80 schools in 12 local government areas, comprising Fagge, Municipal, Nasarawa, Dala, Ungogo, Kumbotso, Dawakin Tofa, Tarauni, Dawakin Kudu, Minjibir, Bichi and Gezawa.
HOW DO YOU SOURCE FOR TEACHERS?
At first the teachers were sourced from outside, then I persuaded some of my friends to assist, but that did not last long because their expectation was higher than what I was paying them. Sometimes they got N200 at the end of the month as at that time, so they were not happy with that. To address the issue, I decided to look inward. I, therefore, adopted the Qur’anic school method where the senior students are instructed to teach the junior ones. We selected the best from those that graduated and posted them to other classes to teach. Through that method we were able to have enough quality teachers for all our schools. Now we have over 200 teachers. It will, perhaps, baffle you to hear that what we are paying them is just a token, because at the end of the month, they get not more than N4,000. They are doing it as a contribution to the provision of education to the womenfolk.
WHAT DO YOU TEACH IN THESE SCHOOLS?
These schools are primarily established to educate married women about their religion. So we teach Qur’an, Hadith, Jurisprudence, Arabic, Poems and other Islamic sciences. At our secondary level, we added English language and Mathematics.
WHAT ABOUT FUNDING?
Our main source of funding is the school fees that the students pay. At the beginning of every term, students pay N500 each as school fees. But you should know that as small as this fee is, there are many that can not afford it and we still allow them to continue in the school. In fact in our local government areas, even N100 is hard to get from the students, but we do not send them back home.
Apart from the school fees, we also have charity coffers where students contribute whatever they could and with it we run the schools and even engage in some charity activities, such as providing food to in-patients during Ramadan, assisting in wedding activities of the less privileged and other humanitarian aids.
HOW DO YOU COORDINATE THESE SCHOOLS?
I tour my schools from time to time to see how they are faring and I get feedback from the local government areas through some of the students saddled with leadership responsibilities.
WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES YOU ARE FACING?
Our main challenge is funding. The meagre amount that we are charging as school fees is too small for our numerous activities. For instance, the fuelling and servicing of our bus that is used to transport our teachers to the local government areas and for touring to monitor the schools over N100,000 in a month. It is from this little fund that we are paying our teachers the meagre N4,000. Most of these schools we are still running them in people’s houses; we are yet to have our own structures. There are some areas that we have plots of land but we are unable to develop any because of lack of funds. If I can get the money that will build huts for me, I’m ready to build them and use them as classrooms.
Another thing that is disturbing us is lack of vehicles that we can use in touring our schools. We received two buses from former Governor Ibrahim Shekarau and the Shari’ah Commission but because of the hectic activities, the buses got grounded. Though we tried hard to revive one, it will not be sufficient for us.
ARE YOU NOT RECEIVING DONATIONS FROM INDIVIDUALS OR ORGANIZATIONS?
There is no organization, either here or abroad, that is assisting these schools. As for individuals, we have a few people that have been contributing, most especially with sewing machines for our graduating students. I know the incumbent governor, when he was the deputy governor, he had assisted us through his foundation. There is also the wife of the former governor, Hajiya Amina Shekarau, who is still donating machines to our graduates.
I want government and individuals, including the Zakkah Commission, to come to our aid, so that we can continue to give education to our teeming women. Let them know that it is the responsibility of government and parents to give education to its people. Since we have made a giant stride on this path, they should assist us to reach our objectives.
Our schools are not just for imparting knowledge, they also give moral training so that if you relate with our students, you will find them to be of good behaviour. We have received numerous commendations from husbands for making their wives to be good partners. And there are other places where we are wanted to open our schools. If we have strong backing, we can reach all local government areas in the state and give the women the opportunity to acquire education and morals.
Culled from: Daily Trust
Post a Comment