Through My Lens: How Visual Communication is Advancing Girl-Child Education in Bauchi
Communications
27 November 2025
By Peace Ita
My first trip to Bauchi State was under the Girl-Child Education Project (GEP) at Connected Development (CODE). The Girl-Child Education Project supports more girls in Bauchi to enroll and stay in school by strengthening community involvement, improving government responsiveness, and ensuring that education funds are properly spent. It also works to address the cultural and social norms that often stand in the way of girls’ access to quality education.
As a Communication Media Content Creator, I remember how excited I felt the moment I arrived. Bauchi greeted me with its wide landscapes, green fields, and a calm beauty that stayed with me. But behind this beauty, I quickly encountered a reality that reshaped the way I see education, especially for young girls in rural communities.
During my visits to Alkaleri, Bauchi, Ningi, and Zaki LGAs, I hoped to see learning spaces full of energy. Instead, I found deep challenges that many girls face before they can even dream of completing school. In several classrooms, girls sat on bare floors because there were no desks or chairs. Some came to school without uniforms, without shoes, and without school bags—holding their books tightly in their hands as though afraid the wind could take away their only chance to learn.
The school structures told their own stories: cracked walls, leaking roofs, overcrowded classrooms, and in many cases, no toilets at all. The issue of menstrual hygiene was one of the most painful realities I witnessed. Many girls told me they stayed home during their periods because they could not afford sanitary pads or because using cloth often left them stained. Others avoided school entirely on their period days because the school had no proper toilets or required them to share the same facilities with boys. Something as natural as menstruation had become a barrier to education.
As a visual communicator, my mission was to document these realities, to make their voices visible even when they felt unheard. Through photos and videos, I tried to capture not just the challenges, but the hope: the bright eyes, the shy smiles, the determination that refused to fade. In every frame, I saw girls who were curious, eager to learn, and full of dreams. They want to become doctors, teachers, and innovators. They understand the obstacles, but they still choose hope.
One of my favorite moments was when several girls gathered around, asking to hold my camera. They wanted to know how it worked. Some even asked to take photos of me. In those moments, I realized that my work wasn’t just documentation, it was inspiration. Visual storytelling shows them the possibility.
Through visual communication, we have the power to reveal both the harsh realities and the incredible potential of girls in Bauchi. By capturing their daily experiences, the broken classrooms, the lack of learning materials, the determination in their eyes, we can spark the kind of action that drives real change. These images can push government authorities to renovate schools and create safe, conducive learning spaces. They can encourage the recruitment and training of more qualified teachers who will serve as mentors and role models. They can inspire traditional and religious leaders to influence positive cultural shifts in support of girls’ education. And they can strengthen calls for transparent tracking of education funds, ensuring that resources truly reach the girls who need them most. Visual storytelling not only informs, it mobilizes, persuades, and shines a light on what is possible when we give every girl the chance to learn and thrive.
Because when girls have safe classrooms, toilet facilities, school materials, and supportive communities, they thrive. And when a girl thrives, her entire community grows.
My experience on the Girl-Child Education Project reminded me that a single photograph can shift perception more than a paragraph of statistics. A picture of a girl studying on the floor tells the world that we must do better. A video of her smiling, learning, and dreaming tells the world what is possible when we act.
These girls are not just faces in a frame; they are the future of their communities and this country. Every girl deserves the chance to learn, to dream, and to lead. And through storytelling, advocacy, and collective action, we can make that a reality, not just in Bauchi but for girls everywhere.
