In the heart of Nigeria's rural communities, where the echoes of ambition often fade into the silence of inadequate resources, Dorcas Elisha stands as a beacon of hope. She is a woman on a mission to ensure access to quality, equitable and inclusive education for children in rural and remote communities.
After acquiring a degree in Mathematics and kick-starting a career in mortgage banking, Dorcas Elisha set everything aside to dedicate herself to community service, with the aim of empowering marginalised communities and redefining the future of education.
The pursuit of quality education for rural communities started in 2016. It has turned Dorcas into an education strategist driven by passion to tackle the challenges plaguing rural education in Nigeria.
"Although I have a background in math and mortgage banking, I have always been passionate about children and community service," she told Daily Trust.
This passion for change has birthed the MarBen Foundation, a non-profit organisation aimed at ensuring that every child, regardless of their geographic location, socioeconomic status and ability, has access to quality education.
"Students in rural areas suffer significant disadvantages due to their geographical location and lack of access to equal opportunities," Dorcas said. She described as a sad reality that some urban schools resembled those in rural areas, with students facing similar challenges.
"That is why I am intentional about equipping them to access opportunities through an education system with minimal differences based on location," she added.
With rural education in Nigeria facing challenges of poor infrastructure, teacher shortage and high rate of teacher absenteeism, students are denied equal opportunities, thereby perpetuating a cycle of disadvantages.
Dorcas began her journey with village outreach and street projects, but the COVID-19 pandemic catalysed a shift in focus. Witnessing students playing during school hours in a slum community in Abuja sparked the launch of Edu-Access, a cluster learning platform.
"The Edu-Access programme is a cluster learning platform for students within the same community, founded on the idea that if students can play together, they can also learn together. We engaged teachers from low-income private schools who lost jobs due to the pandemic to teach the children.
"Through this project, I discovered educational gaps related to geographical location. The quest to solve this problem pushed me into rural and remote communities to improve education standards. Today, I have continued that mission with a clearer focus on education," she noted.
The founder of MarBen Foundation, also said she noticed the digital divide between rural communities and initiated the Digital Bridge Project, which created the first digital experience for students in rural communities, dispelling fears and fostering digital literacy.
Beyond that, Dorcas has also launched several campaigns to raise awareness about the dangers of bullying and to educate students about proper hygiene.
Utilising personal funds and donations from friends and family, the education strategist has launched a series of impactful initiatives that extend beyond providing essential educational materials to fostering a learning culture among children, especially young girls.
Through community engagement and innovative programmes in Abuja, Taraba, Ondo and Nasarawa states, she has succeeded through her foundation in empowering individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to transform their lives.
For the first time, Dorcas secured an international grant for her initiative, the Mar-Bridge Academy project in Taraba State, a free alternative school for out-of-school girls. The academy provides a conducive learning environment for young girls forced out of school due to social or cultural challenges.
"Girls forced out of school due to teenage pregnancy, early marriage, financial challenges, or cultural and religious practices will have access to continuous learning with the aim of reintegration into mainstream schools through the Mar-Bridge Academy," Dorcas said.
"In our society, it is very difficult for school dropouts, particularly girls, to return to school. They suffer discrimination and shaming. Those who are bold enough to return sometimes feel discouraged, knowing their classmates have moved ahead.
"The Mar-Bridge Academy provides a holistic approach to supporting girls' education. Participants have access to mentorship programmes and therapy for those who have suffered abuse or trauma. We want to provide a safe space to help them gain confidence and nurture their dreams to their full potential," she said.
At the heart of Dorcas' campaign for better rural education, continuous access to professional development for teachers, teachers' welfare and retention and the promotion of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics education (STEAM) are key.
"The quality of teachers directly reflects the quality of education students receive. To ensure quality education, we must invest in our teachers and support them with the necessary training to excel in their careers," she emphasised.
"In Nigeria, we have poor welfare for teachers, especially in rural communities, which has led to poor commitment. Some teachers lack passion for the job, and others are accidental teachers due to a lack of jobs, affecting learning outcomes and impacting students directly."
So far, this unsung hero says she has impacted over 3,000 students in 25 schools across 15 communities in Nigeria and trained 250 educators through MarBen Foundation.
Daily Trust visited Rugan Fulani, in the Kado Kuci, one of the rural communities in the FCT, where she initiated a cluster learning platform.
In an interview, Maryam Abdullahi, the mother of one of the students enrolled in a primary school by Dorcas through the MarBen Foundation, told Daily Trust that for five years now, her daughter has been benefiting from the goodwill.
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"Dorcas enrolled my daughter in school; she started from primary one, and she is in class five now," she said, adding that when Dorcas started, she initially brought teachers to the community to teach the children before enrolling them in schools within the Jabi and Kado communities in the FCT.
The community leader of Rugan Fulani in Kado Kuci, Malam Dauda Hussaini, commended Dorcas and her foundation for sending children, particularly girls, to various schools within and outside the Ruga community. He said this has helped reduce the number of out-of-school children in the community.
"Most children in the community were not going to school, but now they've been admitted into several schools by Miss Dorcas, who oversees all the finances.
"She visits our community to track the progress of the children and this has proven dedication to our children's education. We are always happy to see her," he added.
Dorcas's dream of bringing positive change in public rural schools in Nigeria is gradually becoming a reality. Her unwavering dedication to bridging the educational divide in rural communities continues to inspire hope.
Through the MarBen Foundation, she has created a beacon of transformation, empowering marginalised communities and redefining the future of education.
