Education, Equality, and Partnerships: Our 2024 Story in Maigero

From the left to right Founder DFoundation, Headmistress LEA maigero, Founder A’GIRHL, Founder Ramblingthoughts Bookclub.

The concept of lifelong learning is gradually fading in our society today, and it’s easy to link this decline to rising poverty and insecurity. For many families, the priority has shifted to simply eating and surviving, leaving less attention paid to what children are doing in and outside of school.

Growing up, many of us had books like Oliver Twist or Purple Hibiscus to spark our curiosity. Even with limited resources, our parents believed strongly in the power of education to transform their children’s lives.

Today, however, things feel very different. The world has changed — and is still changing — at a pace that makes it harder for children to access the same culture of curiosity and learning. At TechGenz, we wanted to change that by reviving the spirit of lifelong learning and inspiring curiosity once again.

In our contribution to the United Nations Sustainable development goals, we are focusing on partnering with organizations to achieve quality education and gender equality in Northern Nigeria.

When we visited Maigero on 24 Oct 2024, one thing was clear — children there had so much potential, but very few opportunities to nurture it. Some parents were struggling to even keep their children in school because of fees, while others simply couldn’t afford books that would inspire their kids to dream beyond their environment.

Students of LEA Maigero Kaduna

That’s when we partnered with Rambling Book Club to bring a small but powerful idea to life: a community book club. We wanted to create a space where children could explore stories, share ideas, and rediscover the joy of learning outside the classroom. We donated 30 books in this school

But we didn’t stop there. We also paid the school fees of 22 students, making sure that finances didn’t become the reason a child dropped out. Along with that, we provided writing materials, and tote bags to encourage them to carry their learning everywhere they go.

We also partnered with Adolescent Girls Initiative for Reproductive Health Liberty (A’GIRHL), an adolescent girl initiative for reproductive health, where the girls were taken through a lecture on personal hygiene — equipping them with knowledge that supports both their education and their well-being.

The Students with the books

A Program for Sustained Learning

We didn’t just create a book club — we designed a program. Twice a month, children in Maigero gather to read and then share their thoughts by discussing the stories they’ve explored. This way, the book club is not just about flipping through pages but about sparking dialogue, building confidence, and nurturing curiosity.

To ensure the program runs smoothly, we appointed a book club prefect (book keeper) who is responsible for managing the books and keeping members accountable. This role has been a simple but powerful step toward sustainability, ensuring the club continues even when we are not present.

Trivia Moment

​​Why It Mattered

I still remember one father who couldn’t stop thanking us. He had been worried about how to keep his children in school, and seeing his relief reminded us that this wasn’t just about books or fees — it was about hope. It was about telling families, “You are not forgotten. Your children’s future matters.”

We aim for the book club to become more than just a reading space. but a community hub where children asked questions, debated characters, and even linked stories back to their own lives. So that we could see the spark of curiosity being reignited.

Beyond the immediate impact, we also see this work as part of a bigger picture. At TechGenz, we are committed to supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030. Our mission is to use partnerships to drive quality education (SDG 4) and gender equality (SDG 5), while promoting innovation (SDG 9) and building strong global and local collaborations (SDG 17).

Personal Hygene lectures for the girls

This is why our partnerships matter so much. With Rambling Book Club, we created a space that nurtures education and literacy. With Adolescent Girls Initiative for Reproductive Health Liberty (A’GIRHL)”, we empowered adolescent girls through a lecture on personal hygiene, reinforcing the link between health, dignity, and education. Each of these partnerships shows how local collaboration can spark global impact — and how together, we can inch closer to achieving the SDGs.

Challenges and What We Learned

Of course, this journey has not been without its challenges. One of the biggest was figuring out where to keep the books. Without a proper space, children risk losing easy access to them, and we know from experience that when books are visible and within reach, children are far more likely to read.

Our takeaway? A bookshelf is not just furniture — it’s an invitation. Having the books in a visible and central spot in the community will constantly remind the children that the world of stories is waiting for them. That’s our next goal: to provide a proper shelf for the book club so the program is sustainable, accessible, and inspiring.

Looking Ahead

Our work in Maigero reminded us why we started TechGenz in the first place — to bring back lifelong learning, not as a luxury, but as a necessity. The world is changing fast, but curiosity and education remain the strongest tools children can have to navigate it.

We hope to expand this initiative to more communities, partnering with others who share our vision of education as a tool for transformation. Because at the end of the day, every child deserves the chance to learn, to dream, and to grow.