CORE Development Initiative

OUR MISSION

Aiding individuals to identify and appropriate their innate abilities towards employability or entrepreneurship

OUR VISION

To see that every individual has identified its potential towards making an impact in their spheres of influence through entrepreneurship and employability.

OUR OBJECTIVES

• Spur individuals towards maximizing their innate strength to increase employability & entrepreneurship
• Engender youth leadership
• To provide basic education and entrepreneurial information training to women, youth & girls for development, economic growth & poverty alleviation.
• To develop productive partnership international organizations, government and community groups actively involved in youth, women & the girl child development.

OUR CORE VALUES

• Excellence
• Responsibility
• Inclusion
• Integrity & Accountability
• Trust
• Hard & Innovative work

 CORE Development Initiative serves its target population by empowering women, girls, children and youth to recognize and harness their inherent talents for employability and entrepreneurship. We believe that every person has a unique potential that can be directed towards creating positive change within their communities and beyond.

 WHY WE SERVE

• To Unlock Potential: We are committed to helping women, girls, children and youth discover and develop their strengths, which is essential for personal growth and professional success.
• To Foster Leadership: By nurturing youth leadership, we aim to cultivate a generation of proactive and responsible leaders who can drive community development.
• To Educate and Train: We provide essential education and entrepreneurial training to women, youth, and girls, equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed for economic growth and poverty alleviation.

OUR IMPACT AREAS

• Entrepreneurship & Employability: We focus on these areas to ensure that women, girls and youth can create or find meaningful work that contributes to societal progress.
• Gender Inclusion/Empowerment: We strive for gender equality, recognizing that empowering women and girls is crucial for sustainable development.
• Advocacy: We advocate for policies and practices that support our mission and vision, aiming to create an environment conducive to our target population’s success.
• Youth Leadership Development: We invest in the youth, understanding that they are the cornerstone for future advancements.

In essence, CORE serves its target population by providing the tools, knowledge, and opportunities necessary to transform potential into action, fostering a world where everyone can make a significant impact in their spheres of influence. This is not just our mission; it’s our passion and our commitment to the betterment of society.

Erlinda is entrusted with the strategic oversight of program initiatives, ensuring that each project aligns with the broader goals of the organization. She crafts a vision for the program’s trajectory, setting clear objectives and milestones that guide the team’s efforts.

She is not only involved in delegating tasks and responsibilities but also providing support and guidance to team members. Resource allocation is another critical area overseen by Erlinda as Team Lead she ensures that the program is well-equipped with the necessary resources be it personnel, budget, or materials to execute the planned activities effectively.

She act as the liaison between the team and external stakeholders, including partners, funders, and the community at large.

The team lead is responsible for monitoring the program’s activities to ensure they meet established standards and deliver the intended outcomes. This involves regular evaluation and the willingness to adapt and refine strategies as needed.

Finally, Erlinda is accountable for the program’s documentation and reporting. Maintaining a comprehensive record of activities, progress, and outcomes, providing transparency and accountability to stakeholders. 

The Team Lead Erlinda Yongu, is the coordinator of the LEA Primary School Mentoring program, demonstrating her profound commitment to children’s education and development.

Her advocacy work, especially as a Youth Ambassador for UNFPA, has given her firsthand experience in championing the causes of the youth. This experience is directly applicable to child education and empowerment, as it involves understanding the challenges children face and advocating for their rights and needs within educational systems.

Her proven dedication as demonstrated through her roles with UNFPA, has honed her leadership skills and her ability to drive positive change. This experience is invaluable for the LEAP Project, which requires a leader capable of inspiring and mobilizing a team towards shared goals.

Erlinda’s leadership is pivotal in ensuring that CORE’s mission aligns with the LEAP Project’s focus on children, particularly through initiatives like the LEA School Mentoring Program.The supporting team members, dedicated to CORE’s values of inclusion, trust, hard work, innovation, and equality, are adept at managing multiple priorities, ensuring that the organization’s resources are leveraged effectively. Their experience in capacity building, mentorship, and skills development is essential for the LEAP Project’s success.

Under Erlinda’s leadership, the team is poised to make a significant impact on the LEAP Project. Their strategic approach and commitment to overcoming challenges related to market access and financial constraints are invaluable assets. Together, they are dedicated to advancing CORE’s goals of sustainable income, poverty reduction, and enriching lives, particularly for children, who are at the heart of their efforts.

The LEA School Mentoring Program is designed to help marginalized children overcome trauma and excel in learning. 

The insurgency in Nigeria has led to a staggering number of internally displaced persons, with over 2.9 million IDPs across the country. Abuja, the nation’s capital, has become a sanctuary for many, hosting thousands of displaced families. Among them are children who have witnessed unspeakable horrors and have been uprooted from their homes and communities.

The LEA Primary School Experience

For many of these children, attending an LEA Primary School is their first encounter with formal education. Efforts to integrate displaced children into the educational system have been fraught with difficulties. The trauma of displacement, coupled with gaps in their education, means that these children often struggle with basic literacy and numeracy skills.

Learning Amidst Trauma

The impact of trauma on learning cannot be overstated. Displaced children frequently exhibit signs of psychological distress, which can manifest as difficulty concentrating, memory problems, and behavioral issues. These symptoms can severely impede their academic progress and their ability to integrate into a new school environment. Some of the children that attend the LEA Schools are from low income and poor households/backgrounds.

Challenges

During our mentoring sessions, we observed significant gaps in the children's education. Through our findings from interactions with the class teacher and head teachers, we realized that a lot of these children cannot afford to pay their Parents Teacher Association Fees (PTA) also known as their school fees as majority of them are from the IDPs and low-income backgrounds.

In addition, most of these students have torn or worn out school uniforms. Some use cloth wrappers as a makeshift school bag whilst others use slippers and other worn out foot wares such as canvasses to school.

As a result of their inability to pay for school fees and other learning materials, they miss school and it creates a gap in learning and comprehension. This goes on to reveal the negative impact it will have on them and their future.

Current Efforts and Progress

Despite these challenges, there is hope. Initiatives are underway to provide educational facilities within IDP camps, and efforts are being made to cater to the unique needs of these children. Some have begun to excel in their studies, showing resilience and a remarkable capacity to learn and adapt.

The Road Ahead

The journey of these children is a testament to their determination and the human spirit’s ability to overcome adversity. As they sit in their classrooms in LEA Primary Schools, they are not just learning to read and write; they are learning to hope and dream again. The support of the community, educators, and policymakers will be crucial in ensuring that these children can turn the page on their past and write a new chapter for themselves and their country.

The LEA School Mentoring Program was born out of a need to bridge the educational gap by providing mentoring support marginalized children from low-income backgrounds in overcoming trauma and achieving academic success, enabling them to grow into responsible adults. Our program utilizes three manuals: Personal Development, Entrepreneurship Development, and Financial Literacy. We use these manual to teach essential life skills and lessons.

The objective of this Program is to complement the existing educational curriculum with soft skills which in the long run enables these children become young responsible adults, hence meeting SDG Goal 4 (Quality Education).

In partnership with the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB), the Federal Government's Education Authority, we have received authorization to implement our mentoring program in any LEA School within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Our program operates by assigning mentors to specific schools, ensuring convenience for both volunteers and mentees. We collaborate with teachers, parents, and school authorities to deliver our solution.

The project started with two LEA Schools (LEA Dnako and Durumi) with over 85 students. The LEA project has now expanded to 15 schools in Abuja and 6 schools in Jos, Plateau State.

Our methodology

To initiate the mentoring program, we approach a school with the letter of authority from UBEB and meet with the School Head Teachers for permission to mentor the children in the schools.

The LEA School Mentoring Program is an ongoing program that resumes when school term is in session and stop when they go for the holidays. Each school has an allocated day & time for mentoring. We conduct these mentoring sessions weekly, bi-monthly, and monthly depending on the model of the school.

Each mentoring session has a theme and the topics are chosen based on issues that impact them in school, at home, or in their personal lives. Basically, it centers on personal development.

As part of our solution through the program, we provide educational materials to enhance their learning outcomes, as many cannot afford basic necessities like writing materials, books, and stationeries. Recently, we launched the "Adopt a Child" program, which pairs sponsors with children in need. Since December 2022, we have sponsored over 143 children and raised over 2 million naira. 

We conducted a summative research evaluation to assess the true impact of our program. We received positive feedback from teachers and school administrators. They reported significant improvements in children's behavior and academic performance. We've also heard success stories from parents. One young girl who previously felt suicidal shared that our mentoring program helped her find hope and prevented her from going through with it.

For two years, our program has demonstrably improved the lives of these students. Many of them come from challenging backgrounds, with some lacking parental support or facing difficult home environments. Our program has provided them with much-needed support and guidance.

The data collected from the LEA School Mentoring Program has revealed overwhelmingly positive feedback from children, class teachers, head teachers, and parents. The program has not only improved academic performance but also instilled good behavior in the children, at home.

The children's enthusiasm and excitement when we visit the schools are obvious, and our diverse volunteers bring unique teaching techniques that foster emotional attachment and academic excellence in the children.

The program's success stories, including a child who contemplated suicide but found hope through our program, have informed our work moving forward. We aim to expand the program to other schools, states and regions in the country, using the same effective structure and guidelines.

Our goal is to institutionalize the program nationwide, ensuring every primary school student can access its benefits, enhancing their lives and contributing to the country's development.

Our solution has a strong theoretical foundation, but would benefit greatly from a stronger evidence base. Here's why:

Limited Scalability: Without established effectiveness, scaling the LEA School Mentoring Program to a wider population is risky. LEAP can provide the data and analysis needed to demonstrate its efficacy and convince stakeholders to adopt it on a larger scale.

Increased Impact: A robust evidence base strengthens the program's credibility and attracts resources. This allows us to reach more children and maximize the positive impact of their initiative.

Improved Design and Delivery: LEAP data can reveal areas for improvement within the program itself. Analyzing how children respond to specific LEA School Mentoring techniques can help us refine our approach and enhance learning outcomes further.

Why LEAP is the right time now:

• Project Synergy: LEAP's focus on education aligns perfectly with CORE’s LEA School Mentoring Program for children.
• Data Collection Infrastructure: LEAP provides the framework and resources for collecting and analyzing data, a crucial step CORE needs to take.
• Credibility and Recognition: Participating in LEAP lends credibility to CORE’s program and allows them to leverage LEAP's established reputation for rigorous research.
• Collaboration Opportunities: LEAP fosters collaboration with other education initiatives. This can allow CORE to learn from successful practices and potentially partner with other organizations to increase their reach.

Overall, engaging with the LEAP project presents a timely and valuable opportunity for us to strengthen the LEA School Mentoring Program evidence base. It will not only enhance the program's effectiveness but also pave the way for wider adoption and greater impact.

1. Which specific mentoring technique incorporated into the mentoring lessons within the program is most effective in improving learning outcomes for children who have experienced trauma?

2. Does the effectiveness of the LEA School Mentoring Program vary depending on the children's age group, mentor, or the severity of their trauma experiences?

Formative research is be a powerful tool to develop, refine, and improve the LEA School Mentoring program in several ways.

Refining the Program:

Monitoring Interactions: Observe mentor-mentee interactions and collect feedback through surveys or interviews. This can reveal areas where the program structure or guidelines need adjustment to provide better support.

Identifying Challenges: Conduct focus groups or interviews to discuss challenges faced by mentors and mentees (e.g., scheduling conflicts, communication barriers). This allows for program modifications to address these issues and enhance the mentoring experience.

Improving the Program:

Evaluation of Outcomes: Use pre- and post-tests or surveys to measure the program's impact on both mentors and mentees. Track changes in factors like academic performance, student confidence, or mentee well-being. This data can be used to identify successful aspects of the program and areas for further improvement.

Feedback Loop: Establish a system for ongoing feedback from all stakeholders (mentors, mentees, staff). Use this feedback to continuously iterate and improve the program, ensuring it remains relevant and effective.

Developing, Refining, and Improving a Program or Intervention

This essentially means using research methods to build, strengthen, and enhance a program like the LEA School Mentoring program. It's a cyclical process where information is gathered, analyzed, and used to make adjustments at various stages:

Developing: We gather initial information to understand needs and design the program structure.

Refining: Once implemented, we monitor and assess how the program works in practice and identify areas for improvement.

Improving: Based on the new information, we make adjustments to the program content, delivery, or support systems to maximize its effectiveness.

By using formative research throughout the LEA School Mentoring program, we can ensure it is well-designed, meets the needs of the children, and deliver the best possible outcomes for mentors and mentees.

Output

A comprehensive report outlining the needs and preferences of educators, children (potentially including age subgroups), and potentially parents regarding the LEA School Mentoring program

Identification of specific mentoring techniques within the program that show the most promise in improving learning outcomes, particularly for children who have experienced trauma.

Recommendations for refining the LEA School Mentoring program based on feedback from the fellows.

We will put the LEAP Project's outputs into action to improve our LEA School Mentoring program by

• Refining our training materials and workshops for the children based on their needs and preferences. This can involve incorporating preferred delivery methods (online modules, in-person sessions) or addressing specific concerns about integrating the program into the classrooms.
• Modify the LEA program structure based on feedback from the children, parents and teachers. This might include:

• Tailoring mentor-mentee matching based on preferences for age groups or learning styles.
• Developing age-appropriate activities aligned with the identified content areas for intervention (e.g., reading comprehension)
• Integrating desired features like interactive exercises or progress tracking tools into the program.

3. Parent Engagement: If feedback indicates a need for parental involvement, we will develop resources and communication strategies to ensure parents understand the program's benefits and can support their child's participation.

4. Prioritize Techniques: Based on the LEAP Project's findings, we are going to prioritize the techniques used that show the most promise in improving learning outcomes, particularly for children with trauma experiences.

5. Program Integration: Integrate these prioritized techniques into the existing LEA program structure (e.g., mentor training materials, mentoring sessions).

6. Conduct pilot tests with small groups of mentors and mentees to assess the effectiveness of the refined program with mentoring techniques. Use data from these pilot tests to further refine the program before wider implementation.

7. Develop an Action Plan: Use the recommendations from the LEAP Fellows to develop a concrete action plan for refining the LEA program. This plan would outline specific changes to be implemented, timelines for implementation, and personnel responsible for each step.

8. Communicate the proposed program refinements and their rationale to all stakeholders (educators, mentors, parents, school administrators). Collaboration and feedback are crucial for successful implementation.

9. Ongoing Evaluation: we will integrate the proposed formative evaluation framework developed during the LEAP Project. This allows for continuous monitoring and evaluation of the refined LEA School Mentoring Program ensuring it remains effective and meets the needs of all participants.

Overall, by proactively using the LEAP Project's research outputs, we can transform the LEA School Mentoring program into a more impactful and evidence-based intervention that helps to support children's learning and well-being.

1. Program Improvement and Refinement:

• Prioritize User Needs: Analyze the report on participants needs and preferences to identify the most critical areas for program improvement.
• Based on findings about effective mentoring techniques for children with trauma, prioritize their integration into the program.
• Use recommendations from the LEAP Fellows to create a concrete action plan outlining changes to the program

2. Implementation and Testing:

• Conduct pilot programs with small groups of mentors and mentees to test the effectiveness of the refined LEA program with mentoring techniques.
• Utilize the proposed formative evaluation framework to gather data on program utilization, engagement, and learning outcomes. Analyze this data to assess the impact of the refinements.
• Based on pilot testing results, make further adjustments to the program before wider implementation.

3. Sustainability:

• Communicate program improvements and research findings to educators, school administrators, mentors, and potentially parents.
• Develop strategies to ensure the program's long-term sustainability. This might involve securing funding, building partnerships with schools or organizations, and establishing a program management structure.

4. Maintain connections with LEAP Fellows and other Project Hosts for ongoing collaboration, knowledge sharing, and potential future research endeavors.

5. We will publish research papers or present findings at relevant conferences to contribute to the field of education and the LEA School Mentoring Program.