By Aderogba George
The Rural Development and Reformation Foundation (RUDERF) has empowered 3,000 teachers and trained over 10,000 public school students, promoting digital skills in the south-south region.
Sandra Ogholi-Alero, Executive Director and Founder of RUDERF, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.
According to her, RUDERF has been at the forefront of bridging the digital equity gap in Nigeria since 2019.
“Through strategic partnerships, including collaborations with Haptics Nigeria through the Google digital skills programme, RUDERF has empowered over 3,000 teachers and directly trained more than 10,000 public school students, fostering the embrace of digital competencies.
“In 2023, with the support of the TY Danjuma Foundation, RUDERF launched the five-year ‘Education Without Borders’ (EWB) initiative to advance educational equality in Nigeria’s South-South region.
“In its inaugural year, the EWB project directly trained 250 teachers.
“It indirectly benefited an additional 1,500 through step-down training provided by master trainers, ultimately reaching over 150,000 children in classrooms across south-south Nigeria,” she said.
She further explained that RUDERF’s mission is to ensure that every teacher is equipped with digital skills to prepare the next generation of digital innovators.
According to her, by focusing on the unique needs of rural communities, RUDERF is working to bridge educational gaps and improve the quality of education for all students in Delta state.
She revealed the organisation plans to expand the EWB project across all 25 LGAs of Delta through partnerships with the state Ministry of Education and the State Universal Basic Education Boards of Delta and Edo.
“This is to ensure that even the most remote areas have access to quality education.
“The TY Danjuma Foundation’s support has been instrumental in enabling RUDERF to implement the EWB project on a large scale.
“This partnership has allowed RUDERF to focus on scaling training initiatives, monitoring and evaluating the long-term impact of activity-based learning on educational outcomes, and advocating for policy changes that support sustained innovation and resource accessibility.
“By the end of the five years, the EWB project aims to have a lasting impact on the educational landscape of Delta State, setting a model for other states to follow.
“With the continued support of the TY Danjuma Foundation, RUDERF is confident that the EWB project will achieve its ambitious goals and contribute significantly to the overall improvement of education in Nigeria,” she said.
NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA