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DE RUEHUJA #0308 0511226
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P 201226Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY ABUJA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5323
INFO RUEHOS/AMCONSUL LAGOS PRIORITY 0843
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 0057
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UNCLAS ABUJA 000308 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT PASS TO USTR- AGAMA, USTDA - FITTS/MARIN 
DEPT PASS TO USAID AFR/SD FOR MICHAEL CURTIS AND ATWOOD 
BAGHDAD FOR INL MCCULLOUGH 
 
E.O. 12598: N/A 
TAGS: ECON PREL PGOV EAID NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: ABUJA ECON SECTION NATIONAL DAY OUTREACH TO 
SPECIAL NEEDS AND DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN 
 
¶1.  Summary: Led by Deputy Chief of Mission, EconStaff sponsored 
outreach events on February 16, 2009, as part of U.S. National Day 
celebration week, held in February because July is the rainy season, 
at the African School of Excellence (ASE) in Suleja, Niger State. 
DCM also delivered a lecture on the U.S. economy EconStaff staged an 
economic challenge game with teams of high school students. 
EconStaff assisted by providing copies of the U.S. State Department 
electronic publication, "An Outline of the U.S. Economy" to help the 
faculty prepare the students.  The students are children with 
special needs and street children that would otherwise not have an 
opportunity to attend school.  ASE is a non profit nursery through 
grade 12 private school. Although lacking books and desks, students 
receive the basic "3Rs" -- reading, writing, and arithmetic --, 
which are taught orally and via a battered chalk board.  The 
school's founder has been successfully teaching dialog skills for 
resolving conflict, with the support of volunteer members of the 
U.S. Mission.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  On February 16, 2009 Deputy Chief of Mission delivered a lecture 
on "How the United States of American Became the World's Largest 
Economy" to the African School of Excellence (ASE) in Suleja, Niger 
State as one of the outreach events surrounding the U.S. National 
Day celebration.  The event was celebrated by an audience of over 
500 composed of community leaders, parents, faculty, and students. 
The lecture was well received and was complemented by an Economic 
Challenge game with two teams from the high school students. 
EconStaff assisted the faculty by providing sufficient copies of the 
U.S. State Department electronic publication, "An Outline of the 
U.S. Economy".  The questions in the challenge game were taken from 
this publication and a Mission judging team monitored each answer. 
The game showed how well prepared the students were for the 
challenge. 
 
GETTING A CHANCE IN LIFE 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶3.  This school is just over one year old, with a population of over 
¶400.  It was established by Enyi Augustine Abu in the Old Water 
Board Community area of Suleja to service children with special 
needs and was immediately expanded to include street children that 
would otherwise not have an opportunity to attend school.  ASE is a 
non profit private school, without books or desks, where basic 
reading, writing, and arithmetic are taught orally and via a 
battered chalk board.  The children are street gang members, petty 
traders, orphans, children of HIV/AIDS mothers and sex workers.  The 
school teaches students from nursery to grade 12 and emphasizes 
craft skills, so the children learn a trade as well as academics. 
 
 
¶4.  The school's founder Abu has been successfully teaching dialog 
skills for resolving conflict, with the support of volunteer members 
of the U.S. Mission, and students showed what they had learned by 
staging a debate centered on whether dialog or use of violence was 
the best way to solve problems.  The performance of the debate and 
the dialog skill training were lauded by attending community 
officials. 
 
¶5.  School founder Abu noted that President's Emergency Plan for 
AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has provided support, treatment, and training 
for many of the ASE students orphaned by HIV/AIDS. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶6.  The community serviced by ASE, like so many others throughout 
the country, is very poor and most residents make do on the 
equivalent of only a few dollars a day.  Many of the children at the 
school receive only one meal per day and that food comes from a 
community garden that the children help tend. However, the energy 
and commitment of the students, and the school staff and teachers,is 
both touching and heartbreaking giving the dire circumstances of 
their daily lives. 
 
¶7. (U) This cable was coordinated with Consulate Lagos. 
 
SANDERS