Problem Statement

Education is a fundamental right, yet many children in rural and disadvantaged communities face severe barriers to accessing quality education. According to a UNICEF report (2016–2017 data), about 10.5 million children are out of school in Nigeria, the highest number globally.

For the vast majority attending public schools in rural and economically disadvantaged communities, challenges manifest in many ways, for example it manifests as:

• Deficits in infrastructure and teaching quality: poor and inadequate facilities and a shortage of qualified teachers.
• Impact of multi-dimensional poverty on young students: problems ranging from lack of uniforms, nutritional food, textbooks, examination fees, and other basic educational needs.

These challenges lead to poor academic performance, low self-esteem, and a lack of self-confidence among students, thereby denying them a fair competitive chance in life. Without coordinated and sustained interventions, this demographic of children faces a high risk of dropping out of school and being trapped in the cycle of abject poverty.

Challenges of Previous Efforts

Before Project TACT, various charitable initiatives attempted to address these educational challenges. However, these efforts often lacked structure, sustainability, and a holistic approach. Donations of school supplies were sporadic and did not consistently reach those most in need. Additionally, there was no framework for mentorship, community engagement, or long-term educational support. As a result, many children continued to struggle with school-related costs and motivation, leading to high dropout rates.

Project TACT Plan and Approach

In response to these challenges, Project TACT (Train A Child Today) was launched in 2012 by Oladapo Ajayi as an intervention to provide educational support for children in rural Nigeria. The Project started with 6 beneficiaries and grew to 19 beneficiaries in 2018.  It adopted a multi-pronged approach to ensure sustainability and impact:

1. 1.Direct Educational Support – Provision of school uniforms, bags, underwear, casual clothing, examination fees, and textbooks to motivate students and ease the financial burden on parents/guardians.
2. 2.Holistic Development – Beyond material support, TACT fosters students’ self-confidence and motivation through mentorship and extracurricular activities.
3. 3.Community Involvement – Collaboration with school authorities, teachers, parent-teacher associations, and retired educators for identification, monitoring, and support of beneficiaries.
4. 4.Scalability and Sustainability –Over time, the initiative evolved into Africa-RII, to encompass all aspects of rural development, driven by the belief that dreams are only as limited as one’s vision.