Resilient Coach Network
24 teachers, 2 in each Safe Minds school, trained, supervised and certified as Resilient Coaches: the trusted adult a student can turn to every school day.
Why we are doing this
- Teachers are the adults students see most, yet very few are trained to respond when a student says they are not coping or are being hurt. Fewer than 5% of Nigerian children who experience violence receive the support they need. (Violence Against Children Survey)
- With only about 300 psychiatrists for more than 200 million people, most young people will never see a specialist. The first response has to come from someone close. (NAFDAC, October 2025)
- Experts are calling for 1 counsellor for every 250 learners. Until that happens, trained teachers can close part of the gap. (Ogbodo-Adoga, June 2026)
- A Nigerian depression literacy course raised teachers’ knowledge and confidence, but their attitudes did not change in a statistically clear way, and the study only looked at results straight after training. (Atilola and others, 2022)
- Many schools send teachers to one off workshops. Without follow up, new skills fade and teachers are left alone with difficult cases.
Training alone is not enough. Teachers need a clear role, a simple first response guide, regular supervision by a clinical psychologist, a safe route to refer students and recognition for their extra work. The Resilient Coach Network gives them all 5, and certifies only those who show they can listen, respond and refer safely.
What will change
Over 24 months, from January 2027 to December 2028:
- 24 teachers, 2 in each of the 12 Safe Minds schools, complete a 3 day training in the CARE approach
- 24 monthly group supervision sessions with the AHERI Clinical Psychologist
- A 2 day refresher in year 2, based on real cases the coaches have met
- At least 90% of coaches certified after supervised practice
- Every Safe Minds school has 2 trained adults on site who know how to respond and when to refer
- Coaches handle first responses and refer correctly in at least 90% of reviewed cases
The 6,000 students in Safe Minds schools need a trained adult on site from their first term. Training coaches in the first quarter of 2027 means support is ready when the wellbeing sessions begin, and coaches gain 2 full years of supervised practice.
Budget
Set out in the cost categories used by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and most institutional funders.
| Cost category | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|
| A. Staff costs | ₦2,460,000 | 15% |
| B. Activity costs | ₦7,680,000 | 47% |
| C. Travel and transport | ₦3,000,000 | 18% |
| D. Materials and equipment | ₦600,000 | 4% |
| E. Monitoring, evaluation and learning | ₦800,000 | 5% |
| F. Communications and visibility | ₦300,000 | 2% |
| G. Indirect costs | ₦1,484,000 | 9% |
| Total | ₦16,324,000 | 100% |
See every budget line
| Budget line | Unit | Quantity | Unit cost | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. Staff costs | ||||
| Clinical Psychologist, lead trainer and supervisor (15% of time) | month | 24 | ₦52,500 | ₦1,260,000 |
| GEIST Social Worker, network coordinator (25% of time) | month | 24 | ₦50,000 | ₦1,200,000 |
| Subtotal A | ₦2,460,000 | |||
| B. Activity costs | ||||
| Coach curriculum and certification design, reviewed by the Clinical Psychologist | lump sum | 1 | ₦600,000 | ₦600,000 |
| Initial 3 day training, 2 regional groups (venue and meals) | person day | 72 | ₦12,000 | ₦864,000 |
| Year 2 refresher, 2 day training (venue and meals) | person day | 48 | ₦12,000 | ₦576,000 |
| Monthly group supervision calls, data allowance for coaches | coach month | 576 | ₦5,000 | ₦2,880,000 |
| Coach recognition allowance, paid each term | coach term | 144 | ₦15,000 | ₦2,160,000 |
| Certification ceremonies | ceremony | 2 | ₦300,000 | ₦600,000 |
| Subtotal B | ₦7,680,000 | |||
| C. Travel and transport | ||||
| Coach transport and accommodation, initial training | coach | 24 | ₦60,000 | ₦1,440,000 |
| Coach transport, refresher training | coach | 24 | ₦40,000 | ₦960,000 |
| Trainer travel to the 2 regional trainings, 2 rounds | trip | 4 | ₦150,000 | ₦600,000 |
| Subtotal C | ₦3,000,000 | |||
| D. Materials and equipment | ||||
| Coach kits (manual, referral directory, materials) | kit | 24 | ₦25,000 | ₦600,000 |
| Subtotal D | ₦600,000 | |||
| E. Monitoring, evaluation and learning | ||||
| Pre and post training tests, practice logs and evaluation | lump sum | 1 | ₦800,000 | ₦800,000 |
| Subtotal E | ₦800,000 | |||
| F. Communications and visibility | ||||
| Coach stories and certificates | lump sum | 1 | ₦300,000 | ₦300,000 |
| Subtotal F | ₦300,000 | |||
| Total direct costs (A to F) | ₦14,840,000 | |||
| G. Indirect costs, 10% of direct costs | ₦1,484,000 | |||
| Total, 24 months | ₦16,324,000 | |||
Prices are estimates at November 2026 prices. Staff are costed as a share of their time. Teachers, students and community members are never charged. Indirect costs of 10% cover finance, safeguarding, audit and office support. Fees are paid directly to schools and service providers, never in cash.
Ways to fund this project
24 months of change, with your name on it if you wish.
Train and support the 4 coaches in 1 state.
Train, supervise and certify 1 teacher for 2 years.
Manual, referral directory and materials for 1 coach.
Data for all 24 coaches to join supervision for 1 month.
A venue for training or community sessions, printing, data for coaches and scholars, transport, or the time of a professional who can mentor, counsel or give legal advice. In kind support lowers the cash budget, and we report it like any other gift.
The CARE HUB platform, our trained team and State Volunteer Leads, our safeguarding framework and our partnerships with schools, communities and pro bono lawyers. These are not charged to this budget.
What funders receive
- A progress report every term, with numbers and real stories, shared with consent
- A financial report against every budget line, and audited accounts each year
- Your name or logo on this page and in project materials, if you wish
- Invitations to visit schools and communities
- Strict safeguarding and data protection: we never share the names of the people we serve
Sustainable Development Goals
Sources
- Nigeria Violence Against Children Survey, as summarised by the UN Special Representative of the Secretary General on Violence Against Children.
- NAFDAC Director General, Vanguard Mental Health Summit, Lagos. Reported by Above Whispers, 18 October 2025.
- Professor Rosemary Ogbodo-Adoga, National Open University of Nigeria, inaugural lecture. Reported by the News Agency of Nigeria, 25 June 2026.
- Atilola O., Ayinde O., Obialo F.K. and others (2022). Towards school based mental health programs in Nigeria: the immediate impact of a depression literacy program. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health 16:70.
Funders and partners are listed here with their logos. You can fund the whole project, 1 state or any part of the budget.
