By Olere Iluebbey | Project Leader
MIND Foundation’s after-school program has provided its constituents with much more value than the actual skills gained during the training sessions. Being run in rural community schools, the program has afforded MIND the opportunity to address some of the challenges faced by young people living in resource-poor communities.
This story which is centred on a young student in the MIND program, reiterates MIND Foundation’s role in not only redefining the way young people think and act but how MIND programs have provided a haven where children are engaged in stimulating learning programs and shielded from negative influences, unguided exuberance and excesses.
Emeka Bello*(not his real name), is a 12 year-old boy participating in the MIND program in his school. He lives in Abuloma community of Port Harcourt, Rivers State in Nigeria and has grown up in a neighborhood where lawlessness and crime rate is high. A typical day after school for Emeka was spent roaming the streets and getting into mischief. He never gave much thought to his attitude which was considered rude and unbecoming of someone his age. Until the MIND program, Emeka was trouble waiting to happen. Fascinated by the computer-based training, he decided to enroll in the MIND program at his school in March 2011 and since then, he has made steady progress towards increasing in knowledge and becoming a role model for his peers. Emeka is now not only digitally literate, but he also undertakes training projects for younger students in his school program. In addition to intellectual abilities, Emeka has gained self-confidence that has enabled him to shun peer pressure and make better decisions.
Now, have these changes been noticed by others? His mother says “since he started attending the MIND programs, he has been more steady in the house especially because of the bead making. He made a beaded bracelet for me. For that I’m saying thank you to MIND Foundation and I want them to continue the program and also involve the younger ones…”
Success stories of how MIND Foundation is impacting families and advancing the greater good of communities is what keeps us going even when times are tough. Talking about tough times, your partnership has supported our work and made it possible to enroll students like Emeka Bello and others who could not afford to pay for such an enriching program but deserved the best nonetheless. Your support made those tough times bearable and we ask for your support again to reach our total project budget of £7,548. Give another child hope today by making your donation.
Join us in 2013 to raise the capacities of disadvantaged children in communities across Nigeria and beyond. For more information on our project, visit our website at www.mindafrica.org or send a mail to info@mindafrica.org
*To protect the identities of the children we work with, MIND does not disclose the real names of our participants in our publications.
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