Fauziya was only nine when Raquel Kasham Daniel first met her at an Internally Displaced Persons, or IDP, camp in Abuja. Speaking in fluent Hausa, the young girl exuded a sparkly personality that instantly appealed to Raquel. However, despite her precocious charm, Fauziya was soon to be married off, as Raquel later discovered.
“I was talking to her when her father walked up to us and said that we should not disturb her because she’s getting married very soon,” Raquel recalled.
In the wake of this discovery, Raquel appealed to Fauziya’s father to allow his daughter some more time to complete her basic education. In a heartfelt plea, she portrayed a vivid picture of a brilliant future that awaited Fauziya if allowed to complete her education. After a lengthy conversation, Fauziya’s father grudgingly agreed to let his 9-year-old daughter join Raquel’s club and delay the marriage.
Raquel’s passion for rescuing girls like Fauziya stems from her harraowing upbringing. Born into a background that didn’t so much prioritise tertiary education, Raquel nursed dreams of “breaking the cycle,” a mantra she learnt from her father. It was more common for young girls in her family to dabble into petty trade or marry off after secondary school. For Raquel, it seemed she might break the pattern until her father died shortly after she graduated from secondary school, at age 16. Her fate took a worse turn afterwards.
Attempting to get into university, Raquel sat the university entrance exams for upward of six times, but, unable to pay the tuition fees, she lost all chances. While her peers seemed to move swimmingly with their higher education, Raquel launched into a desperate bid to make ends meet in the bustling streets of Lagos following her father’s demise. “You didn’t fail the exams,” she consoled herself each time, “you just failed to find a sponsor.”
For nearly two years, she shunted across different menial jobs, cleaning brothels and living among street louts. One particularly haunting memory, Raquel recalls, was dealing with her menstrual flow, which saw her improvising sanitary pads from the tissues she filtched from public restrooms.
The path to “breaking the cycle” appeared less straightforward than she imagined. But she met each struggle with a firm resolve, eventually getting into the University of Lagos and becoming the first university graduate in her family. Her life’s experience soon became motivation for a lifelong mission—to uplift any girl child faced with the same educational struggles as she did.
An unorthodox approach for Education
In Nigerian classrooms, learning often sticks rigidly to the basics, leaving critical gaps in education that may have life-altering consequences, particularly for the girls and children of underserved communities. This reality propelled Raquel to establish the Beyond the Classroom Foundation in 2007 to revolutionise learning for young Nigerian girls. In 2013, the foundation became a registered entity.
One of the foundation’s pivotal initiatives is Project Red Robot, which takes an unorthodox approach to enlighten girls about the phenomenon of menstruation, a topic Raquel believed to be scarely discussed in secondary school. Using an innovative board game called Go Flow to blur the line between learning and entertainment, the project introduces young girls from nine and upwards to the topic of menstruation. These girls, some of whom begin their menstrual cycle earlier than expected, learn about managing their periods efficiently.
Outside of menstrual health, the foundation’s Creative Corner program nurtures students in public speaking and creative self-expression that ultimately boost their confidence. Originally a book club, the initiative has evolved into a safe space, teaching girls not to lose face in the face of their mistakes.
Critical to the Foundation’s campaign is a fun-based model managed through a range of board games, all developed by Bambini Africa, an offshoot of Raquel’s foundation. These suite of games—Go Flow for menstrual health, Go Safe for road safety awareness and personal security and Go Lead for leadership and organisational skills—challenge stereotypes and empower children with essential knowledge through relatable, interactive scenarios.
Fauziya’s story is one of transformation. The once-shy girl, hesitant to speak English for fear of her father’s disapproval, blossomed into a confident leader. Today, at 14, she thrives in Junior Secondary School 3, inspiring peers with her debate skills and mentorship. Her father, once sceptical, now watches with pride as she leads her classmates.
Hadiza, another beneficiary, is a 16-year-old who grew up in a conservative community where confidence was a rare luxury for girls. Through Raquel’s club, Hadiza overcame her insecurities and now leads her school assemblies as the assembly prefect.
Tackling Challenges
Running a nonprofit like Beyond the Classroom comes with hurdles. Funding remains a constant struggle, which Raquel addresses by channelling profits from Bambini Africa into the foundation’s programs. Yet the organisation still relies on donations and sponsorships.
Staffing is another challenge. With only four paid employees, the foundation depends on volunteers, whom Raquel carefully nurtures into a passionate network of changemakers.
Balancing Family and Purpose
As a wife, mother, educator and social entrepreneur, Raquel juggles many roles. She prioritises family, delegating tasks and relying on a support system to manage her busy schedule.
“For me, it’s about rhythm, not balance,” she explained. “When the scale tips, it always tips in favour of family.”
Raquel’s focus on empowering girls stems from her belief that they are often marginalised and need tools to realise their potential. “Empowering girls isn’t about undermining boys,” she said. “It’s about breaking societal limits and creating a world where everyone thrives.”
Her advice to girls is simple yet powerful: “Believe in yourself. Don’t let anyone define your worth. Prioritise your education, dream big, and speak up.”
Through her work, Raquel has reached over 150,000 children and 80,000 adolescent girls, distributing 35,000 books and 80,000 sanitary pads. Her board games will be publicly available in December 2024, extending the foundation’s impact to even more communities.
“I want to be remembered as someone who empowered women and girls, someone who lived truthfully and created spaces where girls’ voices and choices mattered,” Raquel reflected.
Raquel Kasham Daniel, driven by her challenging upbringing and the desire to break societal cycles, founded the Beyond the Classroom Foundation in 2007, formalized in 2013. Her mission focuses on empowering Nigerian girls by addressing educational gaps using innovative methods. One of the foundation's key initiatives is Project Red Robot, which educates young girls about menstruation through a board game called Go Flow. The foundation also promotes public speaking and self-expression to instill confidence in young women.
Despite facing challenges such as funding and limited staff, Raquel remains determined, funding programs through profits from Bambini Africa, an extension of her foundation, and relying on volunteers. Balancing multiple roles, she prioritizes family, emphasizing rhythm over balance in her life. Raquel's efforts have reached over 150,000 children and 80,000 adolescent girls, providing educational resources and support, with the aim of uplifting marginalized communities and fostering an environment where girls can thrive. Her legacy is one of empowerment and creating spaces where girls' voices and choices are valued.
