Brick2Bride

Bride2Brick is an educational project developed in the wake of the current covid 19 epidemic that seeks to educate the vulnerable girl children / adolescent girls especially orphans, the less privileged, within slums, ghettos and rural communities in River state Nigeria. The project which will be carried out through the direct partnership of world literacy foundation seeks to use a preloaded educational software called Sun books which is a solar-powered tablets.  Each tablet contains digital content and eBooks in English and the local language. Tablets are given to classrooms of early primary-level children, and teacher training on the usage of the program is also provided. Each tablet is effective, regardless of Internet access or electricity, which is important in territories such as Nigeria where only 26.7% of the population has access to electricity, and Internet. 

Brick2Bride seeks to solve the educational challenges of girl children / adolescent girls / yiung women within slums, rural communities and ghettos through innovative easy to use but quality and affordable softwares. 80% of the girls, women within our target communities or areas in Rivers state viz q viz nembe waterside, Ogoni, etche lack access to education and the scenario is worst now due to the current epidemic bedevilling the world. 1000 girls under our core thematic target beneficiaries will be covered under the SUN Brick2Bride project. The scenario is also worst in some states in north east Nigeria where education especially as it relates to the girl child and women in general is seen as a taboo, as such the high illiteracy and poverty level amongst women. The recent united nations review on girl child education reveals a heart breaking downward driven statistics with its resultant effect culminating in early girl child marriage, girl child labour, high poverty rate etc. With education made easy using the newly improved program, most of these great minds will have the basic foundations needed as their counterparts in developed regions and the world.

The Sun Book uses solar-powered tablets.  Each tablet contains digital content and eBooks in English and the local language. Tablets are given to classrooms of early primary-level children, and teacher training on the usage of the program is also provided. Each tablet is effective, regardless of Internet access or electricity, which is an important factor that was considered in development of this gadget. It can also be programmed with other cultural programs as though looks like a normal gadget but it brings the classrooms to our children. 

Brick2Bride is solely a project for girl children / adolescent girls / young women within rural communities, slums , ghettos taking into strict cognizance (orphans, disabled , the less privileged). At the course of carrying out different projects , we were able to identify one factor that seems to control other militating factors plaguing our target beneficiaries - Education. Individuals, corporate bodies, NGOs, Governments have tried reaching out but the number of uneducated neglected girl children / young women is currently on the rise and will continue due to the current global pandemic and the changes it brought with it. Currently, we have over 200 of our past beneficiaries under our platform who are first beneficiaries of this laudable project in partnership with world literacy foundation but our target in far more above the current number due to the increase in needs of this special species. The use of the Sun books makes it easier for most of them even when language seems to be a barrier. 

The introduction of sun books is pivotal in the wake of the current social distancing and the automatic adoption of e-learning and several online learning techniques which our target beneficiaries are also alienated from due to factors that are beyong the good minds with such innovations which include access to electricity and Internet. We seek to use the sun book to ensure that at least 80% of the young women, girl children and adolescent girls against all odds have access to education especially the ones under our thematic cover. The project uses self teaching interface mechanisms / programs 

Unlike different e - learning and online formats including the Google classroom, social media learning, webinars, requiring internet and electricity and above all, considering our target beneficiaries ,  the Sun book comes handy where solar replaces electricity and all materials are preloaded in the gadget. It also captures all ages unlike the online webinars and trainings. 

The Sun book is powered by solar energy panels , pre loaded educational programs, artificial intelligence / machine learning, audio visual media , software and mobile applications. 

The tablet uses digital repositories, synchronous communication. Check out 

With the introduction of sun books, children, young women, adolescent girls with or without access to internet,  electricity are given a chance to get quality education from the comfort of their homes at no extra cost. Our partner organization, world literacy foundation has scaled this product in different part of the world and its testimonies are enormous. 

Currently the project is serving 500 girl children who were under our educational scheme, but due to reach about 5million children, young women and adolescent girls within the next five years or less.

Our goal within next year and the next 5 years is to see above 5million girl children, adolescent girls and young women within slums, rural communities, ghettos taking into cognizance orphans, young widows, disabled, the less privileged , given free, qualitative education irrespective of where they are in the world. We want to see a world where literacy becomes a norm and without prejudice to gender. 

Our greatest challenge to scaling this project is mainly on the area of finance and partnership. Aside the collaborative effort of world literacy foundation whose limited financial resources hinders her scalability, more bodies should get involved through technical assistance to replicate same in other countries. If the financial constraint is conquered, others can easily be as the non profit nature of the project makes it acceptable. 

To overcome the major challenge being the financial , the lead organization is also seeking grants from other organizations like the global fund for children, Obama foundation. This is also without prejudice to our quest to involve the government agencies and call for other well meaning individuals, corporate bodies, educational institutions etc. 

Also this project is to be executed under the collaborative effort of Ghacaf as the lead organization here in Nigeria and world literacy foundation. 

We have 6 full time staffs on the project, 2 part time staffs and 20 volunteers. Our international team from world literacy foundation has its own team of about 10 members. 

Ghacaf as the lead organization has in her team educationists who are also IT inclined, aside the technical full time development of most programs by our partner organization. Ghacaf is already on ground within the community of interest and as such has a working relationship with our target beneficiaries. The team is also made up of several volunteers drawn from its affiliate network - young African leadership initiative. 

We are partnering with world literacy foundation where the president is also a volunteer / partner with the organization. World literacy foundation provides all the technical support needed for the project while the lead organization provides the legal , administrative angle required for the project. This is also without prejudice to any other term of reference as may be contained in the due to be signed MOU.

As a non profit educational project solely for the less privileged girl children, adolescent girls and young women, within slums, rural communities and slums, Bride2Bride ensures that education is made affordable and available to our target beneficiaries in the wake of the current global crisis using efficient e- learning strategies. The project which is in direct partnership with world literacy foundation provides preloaded tablet with over 400 syllabus. The project will identify, train on how to use and distribute the tablets to our target beneficiaries. The project is a scale up on the current educational program of Give her a chance Africa foundation and world literacy foundation where the lead organization provides all administrative and man power support to the project intanda with the technical support of the partner organization. This is without prejudice to the quest to involve other stake holders / educational agencies in the implementation and subsequent scalability of the project. 

The project will be funded through the usual sustained donations of the BOT though too infinitesimal due to the huge financial implication of the current project. As such the project will be overly sustained through grants which will be sort from govt, organizations etc. 

With our success as the best project on solve platform , it will avail us the opportunity to meet partners who may have interest in the project which will aid us scale, afford us a bigger platform to interact with possible grantors. It will also enable us and our partner organization engage experts who may have more effective ways to improve project. Above all, the $1 million grant will go a long way in reaching our target beneficiaries with the Sun book educational tablets. 

Our goal is to seek more funders to reach the estimated $10 million goal for the project, get more avenues to market products even on business pro rata basis and improve on the technological components of the product. 

We are open to as many organizations as may be interested in partnering in this laudable project but most have a goal of reaching the unreached with affordable and quality education. All technical and administrative supports are welcomed. 

Our current project uses technology to advance the educational rights of girls and women in general and our core thematic area as an organization is advancing women rights especially the marginalized within poor and low income countries. 

Ghacaf channels its programs and projects according to its aims and objectives to meeting the needs of vulnerable girls and women within slums, ghettos and rural communities through educational empowerment, skill acquisition and empowerment, advocacy programs etc. 

Our current project also focusses on adult literacy using technology and would like to scale towards hosting such a project in Portugal.