Safe Schools

In this episode of Better Angels focusing on Safe Schools, Sarah Brown talks to the Director of Education Cannot Wait Yasmine Sherif, Nigerian lawyer Zannah Mustapha, who helped to secure the release of dozens of the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram, former Theirworld Global Youth Ambassador and active campaigner Courage Nyamhunga, and activist and campaigner Sylvia Kayko.

Yasmine talks about Education Cannot Wait and their work globally, helping the more than 75 million children today who are severely affected by armed conflict, war, persecution and natural disasters get back into education.

Courage talks of the millions of children who miss out on the chance to go to school and the ‘lost generation’ that could result.                

Zannah speaks to Sarah about Safe Schools in Nigeria and the climate felt around sending children to schools after the abduction of over 200 girls by Boko Haram in 2014. He also discusses the logistics of the Nigerian Safe Schools programme, and the many instances where children of Boko Haram members are in the same classrooms as other children.

Finally, Sylvia discusses her own experience of being forced out of education and pressured into early marriage, and how her own background and struggles led her to campaign and fight for girls to stay in education.