Tunde Onakoya’s Chess In Slums is a winning story. Even beyond that is a peerless attempt to give disadvantaged kids a winning start at life from a chess board.
When Tunde Onakoya started off in 2018, the ultimate goal was to discover diamonds in the rough and tell the story of the African child differently.
Then, Tunde Onakoya, the convener, conceived how the game of chess can be used to lift indigent children out of the endless loop of poverty and societal denigration.
In 2018, Tunde Onakoya embarked on a remarkable journey with a mission that extended beyond the chessboard – to illuminate the untold tales of African children in the throes of adversity. His brainchild, Chess In Slums, emerged not merely as a game-changer but as an avenue to lift indigent children out of the clutches of poverty and societal marginalization.
From Personal Struggles to Collective Aspirations
Tunde, the visionary convener, painted the canvas of his own narrative through the lenses of underprivileged children. His upbringing mirrored theirs, devoid of apparent escape routes until the strategic moves of chess intervened. A game that transformed his life became the beacon of hope for impoverished children seeking a glimpse of a world beyond their stark reality.
The Noble NGO: Chess In Slums
Chess In Slums, a non-profit organization, ingeniously utilizes chess as a framework to deliver education to children dwelling in severely impoverished communities.
This revolutionary NGO stands poised to tackle the educational crisis and literacy challenges prevalent not only in Nigeria but across borders. However, with over 10 million out-of-school children in Nigeria requiring urgent attention, Chess In Slums faces the formidable task of prioritizing aid allocation.
Tunde Onakoya, the founder, elaborates on their approach:
“We have our target demographic: children in slum communities. But at the same time, we can’t do it for everyone. So whenever we go to a new community, we set out the number that we want to work with.”
Tunde’s Impact Echoes in The Slums
Education transcends classroom boundaries and has the perpetual quality of never-ending growth. Yet, with millions of Nigerian children out of school, delivering inclusive education tailored to diverse intellectual capacities, financial constraints, and social statuses poses a formidable challenge for the government.
Chess In Slums Africa steps into this breach, and the results are staggering – over 86% of kids enrolled in the program stay in school.
For Tunde and his team, chess symbolizes more than a mere game; its influence extends beyond transforming pawns into queens – it is reshaping education, transcending traditional classrooms.
Having reached four communities, providing over 36,000 hours of chess training, securing $400,000 in academic scholarships, granting 200 scholarships, and enrolling over 1000 children, Chess In Slums Africa is not just stimulating the minds of slum-dwelling children; it is endowing them with something profound – hope for a brighter future.
In a recent breakthrough, Tunde Onakoya proudly announced a three-year grant deal with global airline company Lufthansa.
This landmark partnership aims to establish a chess academy and STEM innovation lab in Lagos, Nigeria, providing free education to street children deprived of access.
Part of the partnership took him to Germany to deliver a keynote speech and feel the racing pulse of some the best hands in chess in the EU country.
He defeated 10 of them in a simultaneous play.
Climbing the Chessboard of Success
The Chess In Slums team has expanded its impact from Majidun to Makoko, Oshodi, and even Burkina Faso.
They have also trained over 500 children, propelling them from chess novices to intermediate players, while also sponsoring a hundred children on academic scholarship support.
Do you want to be a CHESS IN SLUMS volunteer? Join here
In recent months, Chess In Slums Africa has forged partnerships with ChessKid, Chessable, Chess.com, Lufthansa, Lazerpay, MedPlus, and KidsthatcodeNG. The latter partnership promises to introduce coding education for the children. Their global fundraising campaign, highlighted by the sale of the Chess Fìlà, aims to accumulate funds for building a chess academy.
Tunde Onakoya and his Chess In Slums team are not just orchestrating chess moves; they’re giving hope where it is most needed.
Kudos Tunde!
Written by Fortune Omosola
