In a welcome move to strengthen child protection and educational development, lawyers and literacy advocates have joined forces in Rivers State to help children understand their rights while building a stronger culture of reading.
The Children Reading for a Change Initiative (CRCi), the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Degema branch, and the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) launched the campaign at the Degema Local Government Council office complex, bringing together approximately 400 pupils and more than 100 parents.
The initiative, tagged “Reading Children, Empowered Community,” seeks to address two closely connected needs: improving children’s access to educational resources and equipping them with the knowledge to recognise and report violations of their rights.
During the programme, human rights lawyers from the NBA Degema branch introduced pupils and students to their fundamental human rights, using the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child as a reference.
FIDA lawyers extended the awareness campaign to women and children, explaining available channels for reporting abuse, seeking assistance and accessing legal aid.
The sessions offered an important opportunity to help children and families understand that education goes beyond classroom learning; it also involves knowing one’s rights and understanding where to turn when those rights are threatened.
CRCi complemented the rights education with practical learning support. The organisation launched and distributed more than 200 copies of its new book, The Village Boy and His Computer, while nearly 1,000 branded exercise books were shared with pupils and students.
The children also received 250 water bottles, plastic rulers, pens and pencils, providing additional supplies to support their educational activities.
Speaking at the event, CRCi convener, Opiribo Amachree, said the initiative was designed to encourage reading, promote academic excellence and improve access to books and other educational resources.
He disclosed that CRCi had obtained approval from the Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) to implement its reading programmes in Degema, Asari-Toru and Akuku-Toru local government areas.
The Degema campaign is the first of three planned engagements across the councils, with subsequent activities expected to extend literacy promotion and child-rights awareness to more communities.
According to Amachree, the partnership between CRCi and the NBA evolved into a joint campaign linking reading development with human rights education. Both organisations have committed to establishing reading and book clubs, as well as human rights clubs, in schools across the participating local government areas.
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The clubs are expected to meet weekly, giving children opportunities to strengthen their reading habits, improve academic performance and learn how to speak up when their rights are violated.
CRCi’s experience in Lagos State provides a foundation for the expansion. For about eight years, the organisation has promoted educational excellence in Eti-Osa Local Government Area through community sensitisation, book donations, computer laboratory support, reading clubs, inter-school debates and other educational programmes.
The Rivers State campaign builds on this experience while bringing legal advocacy into the centre of children’s learning and development.
By combining the work of literacy advocates and legal professionals, the initiative aims to create an environment where children can access educational materials, understand their fundamental rights and seek help when necessary.
The planned continuation in Asari-Toru and Akuku-Toru offers an opportunity to expand this approach across the three local government areas.
Ultimately, the campaign’s ambition is to build communities in which literacy and child protection reinforce each other, helping young people become better learners, more informed citizens and confident participants in their own development.
