Stumbling Blocks Make You Stronger So Don't Get Discouraged --Amina Abdulmalik

Amina Abdulmalik, program coordinator of the FCT Spelling Bee, speaks with TMG on the literacy program which is organised annually with the aim of addressing the increasing number of poor results obtained by students in National examinations, especially in English Language.

TMG> Tell us about yourself. 

Amina> I hail from Bida local government of Niger State. I studied Chemical Engineering from Federal University of Technology Minna, and I'm presently the FCT SPELLING BEE program coordinator which was founded by Zainab Haruna in 2013. 

TMG> Explain more about the Spelling Bee Competition: what inspired you to take up this project?

Amina> The FCT Spelling Bee Competition is one of the specialised projects of Decipher Solutions. It is our annual literacy program which encourages students to learn effective pronunciation of words, their meaning and proper context of usage in English Language. Five editions of the competition have been held till date in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.

We started the project in 2013 because we noticed that there was an increasing number of poor results obtained by students in National examinations, especially in English Language. In recent years, mass failures in English Language have reached as high as 50% in some years. The statistics continue to show a very real problem of failing educational standard as English Language remains the most popular language of instruction in schools all over the country hence a failure in English Language will imply a corresponding failure in all examinations.

TMG> What impact are you aiming to achieve with the Spelling Bee?

Amina> The competition is an opportunity for participating students to develop strong critical, reflective and reasoning skills. It is aimed at promoting reading culture and literacy in participating students by allowing them see the fun in learning, helping them understand the inherent rewards that ride on academic excellence, providing them with positive goals and ultimately initiating an improvement in educational standards as we expand across the country.

TMG> How many students have benefitted from it so far and what is your target- students from private or public; primary or secondary schools?

Amina> Every year, the competition hosts 100 gifted student spellers to take part in intense, hours- long spelling marathon. We have created a platform for students from diverse backgrounds including public and private schools to engage and compete fairly in order to emerge as winners of the competition.

TMG> How do you see the widening gap between public and private schools in Nigeria, and what will be your advice to the government on improving this very important sector?

Amina> In the free market, private schools are actively competing for the patronage of wealthy families, and they must find ways to stand out from their competitors. To address the widening gap, government must consider improving the education budget in a targeted way such that all resources deployed must have a specific aim and such aims must be monitored closely and met.

TMG> Do you feel that bringing competitions such as this will foster some kind of inclusiveness in the general society?

Amina> All kinds of competitions help to improve inclusiveness and the spelling bee is no different. By encouraging students to ignore their backgrounds and focus on achieving their goal of emerging as winners means that they do not see their fellow participants through religious, gender, ethnic lenses but rather as competitors. This is the same for parents as well as teachers.

TMG> How do you fund this project?

Amina> The Project is sponsored by corporate bodies and sometimes in partnership with Ministries, Departments and Agencies. 

TMG> What are the challenges you have faced so far, and how are you tackling them?

Amina> In the past, we have had to turn away students who wish to take part in the competition because we have a limited capacity that we admit every year. However, we are working to expand the program such that other students can benefit from the package we provide.

TMG> When you first started, were you ever discouraged in any way?

Amina> We faced challenges about the sustainability of our project in the beginning but it was helpful that we are very passionate about what we do. Passion is one of those intangibles that drives an entrepreneur, gets them through the good times and the bad times, and ultimately dictates the success of any project, when you are passionate about what you are building, any stumbling block you come across will only make you stronger not discourage you.

TMG> What sort of awareness are you creating about the project, i.e how do students learn more about it?

Amina> We create awareness through our website, on social media, we also do fliers, visit schools and appear on radio and TV to talk about what we do.

TMG> What is the vision and way forward on your project?

Amina> In the long term, we plan to consolidate what we have built thus far into an expanding program that can be replicated in other cities in Nigeria and not just the FCT.

TMG> What else do you do apart from organizing competitions?

Amina> Decipher Solutions is dedicated to encouraging and sustaining entrepreneurship and education by hosting various programs targeted at young Nigerians through highly interactive sessions. We have hosted numerous conferences and workshops.