In April 2014, 276 girls were kidnapped from the school they were attending in Chibok, a town in Borno State, Nigeria. Alumnus Reginald T. Braggs ’90, who serves as the Assistant Vice President for Foundation Programs at the American University of Nigeria (AUN), was given the enormous task of developing a program that would educate the newly freed young women captured by terrorist organization Boko Haram. Braggs, who is no stranger to student development, gained his passion for leadership and education while earning a Bachelors of Business Administration and participating in Navy ROTC at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU). He also graduated as an ensign and spent a few years in the classroom as a Navy ROTC instructor while earning an MBA from Texas Southern University. His storied career includes service as the Director of Training for the Egyptian Navy and as the Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students at the New York Institute of Technology campus in Bahrain.
This international education and experience would serve him well as he began creating the New Foundation School (Chibok Education Initiative), a special program at AUN for 11 female students who were among the 57 girls who initially escaped. “We began the New Foundation School because that’s what it is: a ‘new’ foundation that serves their academic, emotional, physical fitness and social development, which prepares them for university studies,” Braggs said. Because the girls had been in high school, they could not be immediately integrated into university-level classes. “From Fall 2014 to Spring 2015 our academic assessments showed they needed more schooling, plus they were traumatized. With therapy and various activities, by Fall 2015, they had all shown signs of progress.”
Braggs and the other AUN educators were met with further challenges in 2017. By May, more than 100 girls were identified by the Nigerian government as potential participants in the Chibok Education Initiative – the AUN only had space for 21.
President Dawn Dekle expressed her faith in Braggs’ ability to handle the challenge by declaring, “no Chibok girl will be left behind.” Braggs began the work to bring all 106 girls onboard for the 2017 school year by re-developing the curriculum, hiring more staff, creating classrooms, updating the dorm, enhancing security and more. He only had five weeks to organize it all.
“When the 106 came it was challenging. But, because they had been held captive, we worked hard to get to know them and have psychological care for them. We made sure we were sensitive to their trauma and worked with them toward their academic, social and emotional development. Seeing their progress as they build up their confidence is very fulfilling for all of us on staff,” he said. The oldest are now sophomores and range in age from 20 to 23. Twelve of the girls are now in the university.”
“Braggs will be featured on 60 Minutes” which airs in the Houston area at 6 p.m. Sunday, February 17, 2019, on CBS affiliate KHOU.