By Dickson Amos, Kaduna

The Boys Mentoring Advocacy Network (BMAN) in its bid at ensuring the realization of the Joshua Beckford Community School, Tafan, Kagoro Local Government Area of Kaduna set, will kick start a fund raising project this week.

Founder of BMAN, Ola Akinwe made this known when he led a delegation to the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House in Kaduna on Tuesday andvmwt with the Deputy Governor, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe.

He said that Joshua was appointed Low Income Families Education (LIFE) Support Ambassador for Boys Mentoring Advocacy Network in Nigeria, Uganda, Ghana, South Africa, Kenya and the United Kingdom.

He explained that the BMAN is standing in the gaps of boys who don’t have fathers in their lives or whose fathers are absent.

“I have been following Joshua now for six years and I am highly impressed with what he has achieved so far. Hence, we are raising funds for the Joshua Beckford school named after him in Kaduna,” he said.

Also speaking, Chairman Fantswam Foundation, Professor John Dada said it all started like a dream.

“We went there as peace building efforts and helped them to rebuild their homes, we saw a girl coming through the bush that she was from school in Gidan Waya, about 12km from there. So with the Joshua Beckford Community School, their children stand to get education in their locality,” he said.

Father of Joshua Beckford, Knox Daniel said that education is the most important tool a child needs to development self.

“Even in the UK we have same challenges, two educational systems, one goes to best private schools, best universities, and the other is those from poor families.

“We know that our children are unique and even children with disabilities have potentials.

“We find that children with autism are misunderstood. If a teacher gives instruction, his reaction makes the teacher think he is rude. From wanting to go to school everyday, he didn’t want to go because he became unhappy,” he said.

In her remarks, the Deputy Governor expressed delight with the visit, assuring that Kaduna State is embarking on education reforms towards building quality human capital in the state.

It would be recalled that Joshua Beckford, an autism child, gained admission into Oxford University at the age of 6 and has graduated as a genius