The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) in Kaduna has distributed food items to 180 teachers and security guards in eight private schools.
Mr Jeremiah Elisha said the gesture was to reduce hunger among the targeted groups.
“It is expedient to reach out to this set of people at this trying time, considering that schools are closed and private schools depend solely on school fees to pay the teachers’ salaries.
“It is even disturbing that securitymen of private schools have been going to work in the last few months without salary.
“This development has made it very difficult for the teachers and the security guards to feed their families,” Elisha said.
He appealed to the State Government and other organisations to assist private schools’ workers, who had become vulnerable since the outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).
Elisha noted that their only source of livelihood had been cut off in the last three months, following the lockdown occasioned by the disease.
“The harsh economic situation in the country is particularly unbearable to parents, who became unemployed, with bills and family needs to take care of.
“Although the lockdown had been lifted, schools remained closed and teachers of private schools are in the fourth month without salary, while others have lost their jobs.
“Therefore, YCMA decided to help out in its little capacity as a community-based organisation and urged other organisations to equally reach out to the private schools’ workers.
“Although the food items might be little, it will go a long way in helping them survive the next few days,” he said.
The private schools included Resurgence Academy Kakuri; Safeway International School; Blessed Academy, Kakuri; and Heyik Schools, Kakuri.
Others are Triumph Schools, Kakuri; HEKAN School, Kakuri; YMCA Primary School, Sabon Tasha; and YMCA Vocational Training Centre, Unguwan Gimbiya.
