Educate Children & Empower Youths in a Lagos Slum

The start of a new school year brings mixed emotions for both children and parents in our community. There is the excitement of going back to school for the children and the anxiety of not being able to afford sending the children back to school, for parents. The worsening economic conditions and hardship in Nigeria is further distressing the poor and more and more children are having to drop out of school.

This year, with your support, CCI sent 350 children from the Ikota slum community of Lagos back to school with all the supplies they need for the entire year. Each students received a sturdy backpack stuffed with books, other essential school supplies, water bottles and brand-new comfortable leather shoes. We also subsidized tuition for some and provided a full tuition scholarship (one year) for two undergraduate students to be able to further their education, post-secondary school. This has reduced the number of out-of-school children roaming the streets and has not only put smiles on the faces of the children and their parents but also, it boosted up the confidence and self-esteem of the children.

In addition, we have influenced some of the local schools to include daily leisure reading times in the daily schedule to nurture the love for reading in the children to broaden their horizon and develop their minds. Through our mobile children’s library, the community’s children have access to a wide selection of children’s book, with both local and international contents.

Thank you for making this happen for our community’s children through your generous giving.

Links:

• A short documentary update