The outbreak of COVID-19 upended what we regarded as ‘normal’. Learning and education for many Nigerians were disrupted as regular activities ground to a halt, including schools. To curb the spread of the virus, most schools moved their lessons to virtual platforms. However, virtual learning systems mean that a good number of students without internet access are left behind. For many of these students, the big question is when will everything return to normal?
Prior to the lockdown, the Foundation had made preparations for the annual Summer School Program. However, due to the situation, we had to adapt and deploy new strategies. The Literacy Project; Mavis Talking Books and Pens Books were launched and over 300 students in underserved communities were able to benefit from this audio-visual solution.
The new normal
We kicked off with a target to have at least 100 students onboard on our Inspire Scholarship Program. We started the year with about half of the target, and at the moment, we have reached our target and are committed to providing continuous financial support to these kids.
In June 2021, as part of our Mentorship Program, we had a career day in Model College Yaba, where we had over 50 professionals (who are part of our volunteer base) from various disciplines, speak to over 500 senior secondary school students in the school. Click to read more.
Between August and September, we had our annual Summer School Program in two locations: Abuja and Lagos. Over 500 students attended the program, with strict adherence to COVID-19 guidelines. It was exciting to gather physically, to learn, and socialize. Click to read more.
We were able to onboard our first university student, under our Special Scholarship. Liga Caroline is currently enrolled at the University of Abuja studying Economics Education. She lost her Dad when she was in SS1, and he was the main sponsor of her education up until his death. Her progress is a testament to our promise to provide support all the way up to this level.
The Future beckons… 2022
So far, 2021 has been quite successful. We hope to achieve more in 2022 as we plan to roll out more projects and explore new partnership opportunities. We also plan to amplify our impact on several platforms and grow our volunteer network.
The target for 2022 is to have a couple of School Build projects in the works and to double the number of kids on our Inspire Scholarship Program.
We appreciate everyone who has supported the Foundation one way or the other. We’ve done well and we’re ready to do even more. If you would like to make a donation to our cause, click here.
Our social media platforms:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespecialfoundation/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheSpecialFoun1?ltclid=
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TSFNigeria
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-special-youth-leadership-foundation/?ltclid=