Actions that speak in enhancing education of minorities have been taken.

Take it or drop it. Times have evolved and Mbororos, unlike yesterday are fully part of the education family of the North West Region today. The education sector in the region is incomplete without Mbororos who are more than ever before, convinced about the goodness of education, thanks to concerted efforts by the government and the Mbororo Social and Cultural Development Association (MBOSCUDA). From the look of things, the Mbororo community of the North West emerges as the most literate of all the ten regions.

To show for this is a revelation by the Programmes Officer of MBOSCUDA, Sali Django that of the about 100,000 Mbororos in the region, 16 per cent are in nursery, primary and secondary schools and university. It is the result of great work by the government and MBOSCUDA to promote and encourage access to education by Mbororos who had hitherto suffered marginalisation and cultural barriers.

Sunjo George, the Regional Delegate for Secondary Education says the government has turned full circle in recent times to take education to the doorsteps of Mbororos by constructing schools close to Mbororo settlements like G.S.S Upkwa, Menchum Division which has 42 Mbororos in one class of 45 students. Elsewhere in G.S.S Sabga, another Mbororo settlement in Mezam Division, a fellow Mbororo is at the helm as the Principal.

Away from that, the 20-year old MBOSCUDA has been credited for pushing the education of Mbororos. Promoting and encouraging the education of Mbororos is their priority and they jump for joy with some 18 classrooms built to serve Mbororos in some 14 community schools in the region. Many Mbororo children also enjoy the privilege of MBOSCUDA scholarships, didactic materials and teachers to take them forward in education.

The community has come a long way from the hills and grazing areas where they are associated with cattle rearing and nothing else. It is common knowledge that society often perceives Mbororos as strangers who do not deserve rights. Islamic clerics of the past did not help matters by presenting western education as evil. In the process, the Mbororo girl child suffered most.

It also emerges from the Mbororo community that Islamic religion forbids the shaving of the hair of girl children. It is against this backdrop that MBOSCUDA’s Sali Django appeals for the understanding of school authorities whose institutions enrol Mbororo girls to be tolerant and enable them continue to enjoy rights and privileges of education. That apart, he appeals to government to take over all the Mbororo community schools. Sabga, Binka, Fundong, Santa, etc constitute the largest settlements of Mbororos in the North West Region.