1^st Term (September – December 2024) Report

With your help, in the 1^st Term of the 2024/2025 Academic Year, we provided educational, social, medical, and legal support through the Child Rights and Juvenile Justice Centre (“CRJJC”). We also  partnered with We Run the World Girls (WRTWG) for Painting Smiles 2.0; celebrated CRJJC’s 2^nd Anniversary which also hosted phase II of its Know Your Rights Initiative for over 200 children in three correctional centres across Lagos.

At TOKAN Foundation, we believe that access to quality education is a basic human right, and no child should be so denied because of their or their parent’s socio-economic status, disability, gender, amongst other factors. Further, education can only be impactful when a child is fully supported in all the ways that they need. Since 2018, we have ensured that hundreds of marginalised children have access to quality education by providing tuition scholarships, daily lunch stipends, school supplies, after-school and national examination preparatory lessons, social support, and legal representation in court through our Child Rights and Juvenile Justice Center (@CR_JJC). We also established the Special Approved School in January 2023 for secondary school-aged girls within the Special Correctional Center for Girls (SCCG) in Idi-Araba, Lagos.

To continue our important work to fullfil our goal of  providing children everywhere with access to quality education and welfare, we provided the following support valued at ₦5,762,200 (Five Million, Seven Hundred and Sixty-Two Thousand, Two Hundred Naira):

• Tuition scholarships and Textbooks – 43 children
• Daily lunch stipends – 43 children
• School bags, shoes, and other supplies – 102 children
• Monthly Salaries for Secondary School Class Teachers – 4 teachers at Special Correctional Center for Girls (SCCG)
• Legal support – 6 children

We also ran and sponsored other activities for hundreds of children across Lagos:

• Painting Smiles 2.0 collaboration with We Run the World Girls foundation in December 2024 to provide catering and baking training to 50 girls
• Donation of Signposts/banners to the Children’s Correctional Center for Girls, Idi-Araba (CCCG)
• Skills Acquisitions trainings for Children’s Correctional Center for Girls, Idi-Araba
• Payments for school end-of-year parties, because every child has a right to play!

Social and Other Support:

We continued our regular social visits to all the Children’s Correctional Center across Lagos. We also purchased phones for our first University beneficiaries who recently graduated Secondary School. This support is part of our mission to adequately empower our beneficiaries to become self-sufficient and positively-impacting members of their communities.

Legal Support through the Child Rights and Juvenile Justice Center (“CRJJC”)

Court Representation

Between September and December, CRJJC’s network of volunteer lawyers represented 6 children in a total of 14 court appearances for various offences, expending dozens of pro bono hours on behalf of our clients. Filing and other court fees are paid for by TOKAN Foundation for children whose parents are unable to afford same.

Know Your Rights Initiative 

In November 2024, CRJJC hosted Phase II of the Know Your Rights Initiative across three correctional centres for children in Lagos. The first event was held on 16 November 2024 at the Special Correctional Centre for Junior Boys, Oregun (“SCCB”); a combined event was held on 23 November 2024 for the Special Correctional Centre for Girls, Idi Araba (“SCCG”) and Children’s Correctional Centre for Girls, Idi Araba (“CCCG”). The events were coordinated by a volunteer team of experienced lawyers, law students, and other volunteers. The lawyer-speakers explained Child Rights and Child Justice Administration laws to keep them informed and protected as they continue to pass through the Nigerian justice system.

Back to School – 2^nd Term

 School Supplies for School Children

The 2nd Term of the 2024/2025 Academic Year commenced on 6 January 2025 for millions of students across Nigeria. It was no different for the children we support. Within the first 2 weeks, TOKAN Foundation purchased and delivered school bags, school shoes and sandals, stationary, and other supplies to students in four Children’s Centers across Lagos. Supplies were made based on specific requests from the children and their guardians, who have a greater understanding of their needs.

Tuition Scholarships and Fundraiser for 2^nd Term

The new term has commenced and so has payment for school fees for our beneficiaries. This is where you, our loyal donor, come in. We were able to do so much with your help last year. We would like to help even more children until our goal of ensuring every child has access to education, regardless of their socio-economic status, is realised.

As always we appreciate your support via donations to the TOKAN Foundation’s Zenith Bank Account No. 1015972986. If you prefer to pay online, you can donate through https://paystack.com/pay/tokanfoundation. We also welcome partnerships and collaborations from individuals, businesses, religious organisations, and the government. Anyone who shares our dream of educating young minds is welcome.

TOKAN Foundation for Children and Young People is a registered charity dedicated to providing financial, educational, and social wellness support to vulnerable children and young people across Nigeria, and legal support through the Child Rights and Juvenile Justice Center (“CRJJC”). We believe that every child and young person deserves a future filled with opportunities and growth. Through our various programs, we strive to one day create a world where no child or young person is denied a future of possibilities.

For more information about TOKAN Foundation or to discuss ways you can support our work, please reach out to us at hello@tokanfoundation.com or on X, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

#TOKANFoundation #crjjc #charity #Nigeria #education #scholarship #equity #donations #NGO #nonprofit #students #BackToSchool

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For many girls in Nigeria and around the world, their dreams of a bright future are too often overshadowed by challenges such as limited access to education, violence, child marriage, and unequal opportunities. These barriers prevent girls from fully realizing their vision for themselves and their communities.

At TOKAN Foundation, we recognize that investing in girls’ education, rights, and well-being today will unlock a brighter, more equitable tomorrow. Girls are not merely beneficiaries of change; they are its catalysts. That’s why we continue to prioritize programs that empower girls to take ownership of their futures. Through financial, educational, and social wellness support to vulnerable children and young people across Nigeria, and legal aid provided by CRJJC, we are committed to making girls’ visions for the future a reality.

A Call for Collective Action

As we celebrate the strength and vision of girls, we call on governments, organisations, communities, and individuals to join us in removing the barriers that stand in their way. Let’s work together to create environments where girls’ voices are amplified, their rights are protected, and their visions for the future are realized.

Let’s commit to empowering every girl to dream big and achieve even more.

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You can support TOKAN Foundation and CRJJC with donations to the foundation’s bank account No. 1015972986 (Zenith Bank Plc) or via Paystack. We also welcome partnerships from individuals, businesses, religious organizations, and the government.

For more information about TOKAN Foundation, CRJJC, or to discuss ways you can support our work, please reach out to us at hello@tokanfoundation.com, and engage with us on social media.

The post International Day of the Girl Child 2024: Girls’ Vision for the Future appeared first on TOKAN Foundation.