YouAreHope || We Supplied School Needs to Needy Pupils in Nigeria, All Powered by Steem

As part of my responsibilities as a field representative of @YouAreHope, today (21-11-2017) I led the initiative to provide school supplies to impoverished children in a public primary school in Nigeria.

We worked closely with the school leadership to pull this off, and we report it was a resounding success. Through this partnership we had tasked the head teacher to engage the pupils in a writing contest on a simple topic, "How I want My School To Be." Apart from selecting a winner, we also were interested in the aspirations of the pupils.

Three winners were selected to receive backpacks with stationeries for school use. Excerpts of their needs are in the article.

I was particularly moved by the little things that these kids crave for. No, not an adoption of Google Expedition by their authorities, to help them take immersive virtual journeys into the other universes during Geography classes. These kids don't even know what VR is. They haven't been that privileged.

"I want the authorities to provide textbooks to the pupils. I want electricity in the classrooms. I want my school to employ a security officer and station him at his office."

• Goodnews Enobong Friday (Primary 6, Annang People's School (APS), Obio Ndot, Aks, Nigeria)

I personally grew up in a not-so-rich home. For the most part I have always thought of myself as poor. But boy was I feeling privileged all the while I spent with these kids. I honestly fought to hold back the tears.

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The next batch of pupils we paid particular attention to were the orphans. These ones, I am told, have to rely on the benevolence of the teachers to even have school uniforms and sandals for the school term. And there were many of them. Too many to be exhaustively supplied for by our initiative. But we did what we could: eight of such kids received school bags with stationery supplies. The rest got pencils and rulers and crayons and notebooks. I watched them beg and stretch their arms in desperation. These kids are really in need. I fought back the tears again.

"I want us to have a grass cutting machine in my school. I want government to provide a school van to my school to convey us wherever we are going."

• Martin Bernard Tom (Primary 6, APS, Obio Ndot, Aks, Nigeria)

And the whole school was in a hysteria of different emotions. Those who wished they got more gifts. The teachers and Headmaster who were very expressive in their gratitude for our initiative, that is not fueled by any obvious interest. The prayers rained. I got more "God bless yous" today than I have in the past year. And that blessing I spread to everyone who contributed any bit to be of help where it matters most.

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"I want my school to have activities like planting flowers and raising a garden. I want us to have a science laboratory."

• Gideon Isreal Abraham (Primary 5, APS, Obio Ndot, Aks, Nigeria)

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Yours truly (far left) with some of the beneficiary pupils and the school heads.

Fun fact: that's my mum at the far right. She is the deputy head of the school and she helped so much with the organization, and even threw in her own gifts for the kids ;-)

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Overall we left feeling we should do a lot more, but we also know for a fact we have done a lot already. We supported dreams in our very little way, we ignited embers of hope, we made a strong case for empathy. On behalf of @sircork, our founder, and every member of the team at You Are Hope, we express our gratitude to our donors, partners and contributors. Everyone who gave any bit towards the success of that outreach. We want to say thank you for helping us be of help.

We extend our gratitude to the leadership at Steemit Inc. for creating this blockchain home that brought us together in the first place; for creating STEEM that bridges the barriers across the world with swift, transparent financial transactions that is crucial for our operations. This is only just the beginning!

Lastly, I ask the question: what can a hundred and twenty five STEEM buy?

Help. Opportunity. Purpose. Empowerment.

The above initiative is proof.

Ubokobong Udeme Akpan,
You Are Hope Agent, Nigeria
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