How ‘Ignite Makoko’ project trained 100 children to read, write

Based on the belief that building a nation transcends building infrastructure, investing in science discoveries and creating complex technologies but involves instilling moral values into youths and giving them good educational foundation, Joy Ademulegun has touched the lives of 100 children in Makoko, one of the slums in Lagos state, by teaching them to read and write. YEJIDE GBENGA-OGUNDARE reports.

 

He who opens a school door closes a prison – Victor Hugo

The above quote birthed the vision of Mrs Joy Ademulegun John, the founder of the Ignite Makoko project, and it is also the inspiration behind her advocacy about forming a formidable force as a nation to clamp down on social menace and poor educational structure of the Nigerian society. For her, education is of great importance and there are no shortcuts to this.

Indeed, she expressed this opinion aptly when she stated that, “of what importance is building good roads, good hospitals and electricity if our youths and children lack good educational foundation and moral values to sustain and manage them properly? Rebuilding our society does not fall on the shoulder of the government alone but all Nigerians. We must start rebuilding from the foundation, and the time is now.

“Individuals, religious institutions, profit and non-profit organisations must buckle their belts and be positive influencers. However, my endeavour is not to undermine the efforts of the government, organisations and individuals who have been contributing to the social and academic development of several children but a clarion call that we still have a whole lot to do. Our social and educational foundation is cracking up and if preventive measures are not hurriedly taken, we may have no good legacy to leave behind for the next generation,”.

Ademulegun John founded a nongovernmental organization called Shaping Tomorrow Today Initiative based on her optimism about society and passion for the younger generation. Her organisation focuses on building children and youths academically and socially. She advocates for a change in the myopic view that only the government has a role to play in developing the society, which she emphasizes requires collaborative efforts.

She is a graduate of English Language from Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago –Iwoye Ogun State. Also, she has a Certificate in Basic English Proficiency from London Meridian College, London as well as a certificate in sounds of English, assimilation process, rhythm and stress from Pronunciation Studio, London and is an alumnus of Poise Nigeria, the leading institute on etiquette and soft skills development in Africa.

And based on her belief and commitment to contributing her quota to the development of the education sector in the country, she goes around schools in Lagos to impart knowledge; and as her passion grew, she decided to take the efforts to communities where such services were a lifeline. This gave birth to the Ignite Makoko project where she held a three-week training for 100 children and taught them how to read and write.

She said “Who would have thought that an experience with children in the slum could change my perception about life? I have always had passion for imparting knowledge to children. This I do by visiting schools in Lagos State, but I have never extended this to the slum. The visit to the slum was a revelation the big vacuum between the upper and the lower class in our society. It expanded my understanding of the social, health and educational issues they are experiencing; poor social amenities, terrifying educational level and worrisome health situations.

“I decided to do something against the tide by visiting a slum and imparting knowledge in my own little way.  I got discouraged when I got to Makoko, characterised by high level of illiteracy. Seven in every 20 persons below the age of 30 are stark illiterates, while 11 are educated to primary or secondary level.”

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According to her, this experience of her first visit to Makoko is unforgettable.

Ademulegun recounted, o“The environment was swampy and dirty; the stench of the blocked drainage and other unidentifiable dirt on the road made me want to puke. The little white handkerchief I held became important as I used it to cover my nose away from the horrible stench oozing from every direction. I carefully calculated my steps to avoid stepping into the filthy water, but to my amazement, I saw children running up and down without any consciousness of the filthy environment. Several of these children wore torn pants and looked very unkempt. The obvious twist was that they were very happy, lively and looked unbothered about their squalid surroundings.

“Some were riding on bicycles while some were playing with their footballs. I beckoned on one of the kids to take me to the baale’s house. The little boy with a deep smile walked me down to meet the baale. The baale was a good and accommodating man; he spoke about the challenges of his community, recounted the many unfulfilled promises from the government and individuals and emphasised the lack of basic social amenities such as electricity, schools and healthcare. There is no sufficient sanitation; communal latrine is  shared by about 15 households and waste water , excreta, kitchen wastes and other wastes go directly into the lake   which they still use for domestic purposes.”

That experience reinforced her determination to touch the lives of the happy children in Makoko community. And this gave birth to the Ignite Makoko initiative which trained 100 school-age children on how to read and write within three weeks.

“The baale helped in gathering the children and we tested their reading and writing proficiency before selecting 100 that could neither read nor write anything. It was surprising that some who were over 14 years were in this category. Then, there arose the challenge of venue to use. A school owner, Mr. Salvation, the proprietor of Bright Future Nursery and Primary School in Makoko, was generous enough to give out his school for the programme. He uses a dilapidated building that lacks basic teaching aids.

“The training started two weeks after the selection exercise. I almost gave up at some point because of the dirty environment and the overwhelming work of teaching 100 children who could neither read nor write to do so within three weeks. The support of some volunteers made the job easier and less demanding.  We decided to use the Jolly and Montessori phonics approach to train them. We devoted thefirst week into teaching the sounds of English from A – Z.  It was such a tedious week as the participants were learning English sound for the first time. Towards the end of the first week, over 80 per cent of the participants could recite the English sounds without missing any.

“The following week was wonderful as we introduced two, three and four-letter words within two days. Majority of these kids were fast learners, disciplined and very reserved. Their comportment made our job easier and interesting. We wrapped up the training with simple sentences and we can proudly say today that over 90 per cent of the participants can read simple sentences.

“In the last part of our training, we infused etiquette and ethics. This we did because academic work is speedily taking over training in morals and code of good conducts in our society. They were taught oral hygiene, and all participants were given toothbrushes and toothpaste to show them how to brush their teeth. We also educated them on sexual education, neatness, discipline, saving and environmental management,” she explained.

At the end of three weeks, the lives of 100 children were indeed ignited through the Ignite Makoko initiative.