|
|
|
| The SKaRDIA Main Building |
NFI's Nigerian Headquarters |
Main Objectives of the Centre:
|
|
| A few of the 16 SKaRDIA outbuildings |
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?
The
training programmes will last between 3 and 24 months and will form the core of the activity taking place every day at the
SKaRDIA Centre. Anyone, living in rural villages can participate and chiefdoms
will be encouraged to select those whom will gain most benefit, so that they can return to the village and pass on their skills
to others.
The
Centre will also be a Community Facility, offering Sports and conference space, a
crèche, a restaurant/café, a cybercafé, a pharmacy, an International Business Centre for visitors to Kaduna State and much
more.
Local
voluntary organisations can participate in the NFI Spiderweb Support and Sustainability programme, where trainees are encouraged
to use their training to help improve the performance of other organisations, by performing training themselves and thereby
increasing the web of knowledge in rural communities.
Local
children and youth can participate in the Gifted and Talented Africa Programme. They
will be nurtured through fun confidence building sessions and be visited by African role models through Ashoka, the global
Social Enterprise charity.
OUR ICT VISION
NFI are working with Inveneo, a globally-recognised
provider of ICT products for rural Africa to develop a communication coverage for the whole of Southern Kaduna’s rural
dwellers. This network of computers will enable information and resources to
be brought to every area , enabling Africans of all ages to develop solutions of their own to rural poverty.
ALTERNATIVE ENERGY?
Kaduna
State suffers terribly from power cuts and businesses can often be uncompetitive if they lose production or spend money on
generator fuel. NFI intends to make sure that local business is aware of the
very latest in sustainable energy options, such as solar batteries, DIY wind turbines and solar panels. SKaRDIA will contact
and support new businesses wishing to move into Southern Kaduna.
|
|
| A woodland walkway on the SKaRDIA site |
WHY KADUNA, NIGERIA?
Nigeria is the largest country in Africa, in terms of its population (142m) and its needs are greater than any,
as a result. 70% of its population live below the poverty line and 50% of its
children receive no education. 13% of all Africans affected by HIV are Nigerian,
leading to there being over 2m AIDS widows in the country. 1.5m children have
been orphaned by AIDS. However, Nigeria is the fastest growing economy in Africa,
due to its deep-seated entrepreneurial spirit. Kaduna State has a mainly rural population of around 6m people of mixed
religions. Electricity is very short and this is hampering the economy’s
development. Roads between the cities are good, but those to villages often become
impassable for months at a time in the rainy season. Most rural schools have
no chairs, no proper school books or curriculum and many have completely unqualified teachers.
Despite this, the ill-equipped schools are over-filled with children desperate to be educated.
|
| One of Kaduna's poorly-equipped schools |
|
|
100% of money donated will go to develop the work at the SKaRDIA Centre |
|
