World Bank Offers Scholarship to 11-Year-Old Kano Maths Genius

 

Alt: = "Saratu Garba"

An 11-year-old out-of-school girl identified as Saratu Garba has been offered a scholarship by the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), a World Bank-supported project.

A video showing Saratu’s arithmetic ingenuity — ability to quickly provide mathematical solutions — recently went viral on social media.

Aliyu Yusuf, AGILE Project Communication Officer on Wednesday in Kano announced that the project’s National Office had directed its Kano office to identify the girl and enroll her in school. 

“Coincidentally, the Kano AGILE Project team is on an advocacy visit to the five emirate councils in the state, with a view to soliciting for their support, being critical stakeholders in the promotion of adolescent girls’ education. 

“During the team’s visit to Gaya Emirate Council, the girl and her parents were invited to the emir’s palace. 

“Representatives of the state ministry of education and the AGILE team briefed the Emir, Alhaji Ali Ibrahim-Abdulkadir, on the intention of the project to shoulder the educational responsibilities of the young girl,” he said.

According to report by News Agancy of Nigeria, the representative of Kano State Ministry of Education, Haruna Muhammad-Panidau, handed school uniform, a bag and other learning materials to the young talented girl.

Kano Project Coordinator, Ado Tafida-Zango, also presented N20,000 to the girl to support her education. 

Saratu told a NAN reporter who visited her hometown, Gwadahi village in Gaya, that she dropped out of school in Primary Four and started street hawking.

“I am good at mathematics, whether addition, subtraction, division or multiplication. I can calculate numbers in millions of heads, without writing or using a calculator. 

“I left school because of bullying. My peers used to call me names which I detested. 

“I will not go back to that school. I’ll be happy to continue my studies in another school, away from them,” she said. 

Previous Post Next Post