Empower rural Nigerian children with ICT

For many girls in Nigeria, access and use of ICTs remains a huge challenge. Gender discrimination, lack of confidence, language barrier, low literacy and restricted mobility due to cultural factors or safety amongst others, prevent Nigerian girls from taking advantage of ICTs.

To further the awareness campaign and inspire girls towards a future in technology, MindAfrica joined ‘ICT for Girls’ advocates in Nigeria and other parts of the world to celebrate the International Girls in ICT Day on the 23^rd of April, at an annual event organized by FocusHub Nigeria in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The event was attended by girls and young women in ICT ranging from secondary school students to IT professionals, Educators, NGOs, and career women. The event showcased the opportunities IT provides and how young women can pursue lucrative careers in technology. It also featured workshops and mentoring sessions on various topics including blogging, e-commerce, achieving success, and more. Among the mentors was our Executive Director, Ms. Olere Iluebbey, who spoke to the girls about achieving success.

Thank you for your continuous support to our vision of “Empowering rural Nigerian Children with ICT”. We currently live in an age where everything gets thrown away. From cartons to bottled water cans. This "out with the old, in with the new" lifestyle has a tremendous cost. There is an environmental price we pay which contributes to pollution, impacting the quality of the water we drink and the air we breathe especially in developing countries like ours (Nigeria). Combating the impacts created from this trend of waste is a major challenge, but there are ways to fight back and students participating in MindAfrica’s after school program are learning to reuse everyday waste. Using the knowledge gained from the program, students researched on chosen projects using the internet and educational software located on their computers and went ahead to implement the “zero waste” concept producing useable household items in the process.

In a Community Secondary School situated in Aluu community of Rivers State Nigeria, students participating in the MindAfrica after-school program sought to implement their newfound knowledge on recycling, reusing and basic electricity. These students were taught the basic concept of how electricity works and how to merge that with everyday waste to produce usable house hold items, As a result the students designed and built several project which include a bed side/reading lamp, a battery powered train, an electric fan and a moving toy car.

Imagine a fan with blades made out of cartons and standing on a floater with some wires connected to a controller and batteries. That was one of the projects carried out by a group of students on the MindAfrica after-school program. This was done with simple wastes items like used cartons, rotary motors from damaged DVD players, floaters, wires, and batteries. Another group of students on this program went ahead to create an electric lamp using cartons, an electric bulb, bulb holders and wires. The MindAfrica team was filled joy, excitement and a lot of appreciation to our supporters, when the students presented their fully functional projects made from the basic principle of electricity and everyday waste items around them.

Yes when students are part of the learning process and not just spectators, there is no telling what they can achieve. This self-discovery stays with students throughout their lifetimes and motivates them to explore.

Grappling with the ongoing insurgency in Northern Nigeria and the recent outbreak of Ebola virus, it is evident that Nigeria is undergoing trying times; yet in spite of the harrowing experiences, we remain hopeful. We look forward to a time when we would surmount the challenges of insurgency, poverty and disease that threaten the very fabric of our existence and development.

 We look forward to a time when education would not just be the right of every Nigerian child but would be one harnessed by every Nigerian child irrespective of gender, ethnicity or social status. We look forward to Nigerian children growing up to realize their full potential and taking their place in global issues. That is why we refuse to give up!

 In the face of challenges, we continue to educate, nurture and inspire Nigerian children to be the best they can be. We emphasize the importance of education and encourage lifelong learning in our after-school programs. This year’s holiday program is focused on bringing out the inventors in our kids. With little help from MIND facilitators, young kids are taught simple concepts that are designed to trigger curiosity and creativity – the result? Exciting, whimsical structures and devices.

Help us to keep hope alive by donating to our cause.

 Your donation would ensure that underserved Nigerian children in remote communities have access to free learning programs organized by MIND Foundation where they can be nurtured and groomed for success. Your support will enable us continue to provide access to tools that would inspire great ideas and turn those ideas into action.

Donate to MIND project.

 As usual, we promise to keep you updated on the impact MIND programs are making in our communities.

 Sincerely,

Olere Iluebbey

In order to enhance the achievement level of young Nigerians, MIND has introduced new learning concepts and tools to prepare disadvantaged students of rural community schools with 21^st century learning skills. The objective is to bring them up to speed on modern technologies, creative learning tools and life skills they require to succeed in an increasingly innovative and competitive world.

Learning by doing is the new focus. MIND is developing young students to be innovators who can create things and explain how they work and why. The afterschool training is coaching students through DIY (do-it-yourself) projects that teach the principles of science, engineering, technology, art and math. We learn by using things that already exist to create new and better forms that meet our objectives. From ready-made project kits to recycled scrap materials, MIND kids are learning!

 This is a huge step for us as it negates the traditional teaching methods that are prevalent in the Nigerian school system. It also requires extensive coaching and resources to change the mindset of young Nigerians from ‘users’ to ‘makers’.

Nigeria has been a large consumer of imported products and services to the detriment of its own economy and needs to embrace the DIY culture. Often times, young Nigerian graduates are passed over during job searches in favor of their foreign counterparts who have more experience and expertise. To tackle these challenges, MIND is grooming a new generation of innovators by providing the tools they need to be creative and to turn their brilliant ideas into action.

 For funding and other kinds of support, we welcome volunteers with technical expertise and creative skills to mentor young students as well as financial donations to carry out projects in the different community schools where we work. Thank you in advance for supporting our cause.

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” Sir Winston Churchill.

 We all have the capacity to inspire and create change. Regardless of age, background, economic or social status, giving is a universal opportunity. This has been proven time and time again by MIND Kids who irrespective of age and economic challenges have found creative means to solving problems around them.

 MIND Foundation upholds the virtues of giving back and instils in young minds, leadership and life skills that enable them make informed choices in life and contribute to making the world a better place. The Community Service Learning module particularly creates opportunities for school-age participants to employ creativity and passion in providing solutions to identified needs in their communities. One of such opportunities was the Community Service Challenge that held from October 15^th to November 15^th, 2013 involving 7 community secondary schools in Rivers State, Nigeria.

 The Challenge was to identify and provide creative solutions to an obvious problem affecting the lives of people in their communities. Projects implemented ranged from Peer-to-peer training on personal hygiene and general sanitation, Clean-Up Project in the community market, Creation of sign posts for school, to Clean-Up projects in School and the community.

 All projects were executed by the MIND Kids from the respective schools and with minimal supervision by an adult mentor. They were able to raise donations where financial commitments were involved and in some cases executed their projects without money. Please see pictorial account of events at http://ow.ly/tCBju

 “If you wait until you can do everything for everybody, instead of something for somebody, you’ll end up doing nothing for nobody.” ~ Malcom Bane

 We commend these young leaders for their courage and passion for making a change in their communities in spite of their limitations. This just buttresses the fact that anyone can make a difference, even you! As you donate generously to this project, you do not only provide material support for their learning but you join MIND Foundation in building a good foundation for tomorrow’s leaders.

What better season than this to show your love by giving to a meaningful cause!

With love,

From all of us at MIND Foundation

In 2007, when MIND Foundation commenced its pilot activities in Community Secondary Schools in Rivers State, we clearly underestimated the level of impact that our after-school training programs would have on the children, their families and the community. Testimonials from MIND Kids over time have revealed that apart from ICT competencies, MIND kids have imbibed leadership principles taught in the program and are excelling in other areas of academic endeavors.

A recent testimonial is that of 11-year old Campbell Oribelema Omuboye, a Basic 8 student of State Secondary School, Amadi-Ama who emerged the best student in the ‘Read Aloud Contest’ and the ‘2013 Governor’s Debate Cup Competition’ organized by the Rivers State Ministry of Education for secondary school students across the State.

  These events which concluded on the 27th of September, were held at St. Andrews Model Primary School in Port Harcourt and involved students from 23 local government areas in Rivers State. It is an initiative of the Commissioner for Education in Rivers State, Dame Alice Lawrence-Nemi, to develop communication skills in young students so that they can express themselves clearly and confidently. The theme of the 2013 Governor’s Debate Cup Competition was “Education – the Key to Sustainable Nation Building”.

 Emerging the best speaker in the Junior Category of the Read Aloud Competition, Campbell was presented with a Laptop and a color printer. He went further to win the 1st prize of an iPad and a scholarship grant of N150,000 in the Governor’s Debate Cup Competition. During their visit to MIND Foundation’s office, Campbell’s father, Mr. Omuboye, expressed his gratitude to MIND for the positive influence on his son.. He went further to say “MIND Foundation has contributed so much to my son’s success today. The eloquence and intelligence which my son displayed today is as a result of the training he has been receiving from MIND. The orientation he has gotten from MIND has helped him now.” Campbell Oribelema is one of the MIND Kids in State Secondary School, Amadi-Ama, he has been in the MIND program for only 1 year.

In over 6 years of providing free learning programs to disadvantaged children in Nigeria, MIND has impacted over 2000 direct beneficiaries and we can truly say that the skills and experiences acquired in the MIND programs have positioned these children for great possibilities in future.

Footprints on the sands of time are not made by sitting down. – Unknown

ICT has been described as a great tool for development and advances in technology have demonstrated remarkable abilities in improving economic opportunities for the poor, including enhancing education and skills development for disadvantaged communities. However, Nigeria is still a long way from bridging the digital gap in spite of efforts from both the public and private sectors. Access and the use of computers and internet is still considerably low in most rural Nigeria communities, placing the poor at further disadvantage

MIND Foundation in its effort to provide expanded learning opportunities for under-resourced school students in Nigeria using ICT as a tool, offers non-fee paying programs to secondary school students from disadvantaged communities so they can have access to computers and acquire relevant skills that would foster lifelong learning. One of such programs is the Leadership Holiday Camp which holds during the summer holidays between July and August every year. The program’s objectives are to inspire, educate and empower youths from different backgrounds with the tools to transform their ideas into action.

This year’s event was held from the 29^th of July to the 2^nd of August in Port Harcourt, Rivers State in Nigeria. Catering to 130 students from 7 community schools across the State, MIND Leadership(Holiday) Camp provided 1 week of interactive and inspiring workshops to develop leadership and life skills, entrepreneurial, vocational and ICT skills in the participants. By the end of the camp event, students had acquired skills in areas that would prepare them for productive adult life in addition to giving them an enriched holiday experience.

MIND Foundation is only able to provide such enriching programs with the support of donations received (in cash and in kind) from MIND Partners. Students in the program have developed self-confidence and are demonstrating remarkable levels of achievement in their academics. Life skills gained during the program are enabling them make informed choices that will position them for a bright future.

We sincerely appreciate the support of MIND volunteers and donors who have given their resources towards the MIND program in the various communities that we work in. We hope for your continued support and promise to keep you updated on the great work that your donation is helping us to achieve.

For more information on partnership with MIND Foundation or current program information, contact us on 234 (0) 7065677422, or send an email to info@mindafrica.org

It is often said that today’s children are tomorrow’s leaders. While this is correct, in young people’s world, being a leader is often misconstrued as being an adult and a famous one at that. But we know better. We also know that leadership qualities are as vital for children today as they are in adult life. That is why the MIND leadership module seeks to prepare young people to develop and harness leadership and life skills that would enable them make informed choices in life and contribute to making the world a better place.

As a result, character development is being reinforced in all MIND activities. Through inspiring workshops and hands-on projects, students learn ethics, values and citizenship and most importantly, are taught to give back.

 During a recent training program in April, students from Community Comprehensive Secondary School in Rumukwurushi - Port Harcourt, took a day off from training to give back to other disadvantaged children in their community. The service project task was to ‘identify and support other disadvantaged children’.

After a brief ‘brainstorming’ session, the MIND Kids concluded that they did not have much money and had little time to raise funds but they could give of their time, energy and talents to support their peers. With little help from MIND mentors, a visit was planned to an orphanage within Port Harcourt and the objective was to give the children at the orphanage a ‘day off’ by helping out with chores that the older children and staff usually did. Not a bad idea.

 We arrived at Lifetime Caring International Orphanage early the next day and as soon as we sorted out all preliminary details, MIND kids went straight to work – cleaning (sweeping, mopping the floors, washing clothes, washing pots and plates) and taking turns to tend to the younger children. It took a while before all the chores were done but the kids still had enough time to make friends and play with the children before we had to leave.

Like most orphanages in Nigeria, Life Time Caring International Orphanage houses children between the ages of 18 years and young babies that are a few weeks old. We didn’t quite ascertain the actual number of residents but we concluded that they required more love, care and affection than the very busy staff could possibly offer on an individual basis. So, did we do a good job? We think so. Did the children at the orphanage appreciate having MIND Kids around? Certainly, and we salute our young leaders!

The excitement and laughter as they shared experiences on the way home confirmed that we had done a good job. Not just regarding the chores but in giving these kids the opportunity to experience life changing moments by helping others.

We appreciate the support of our donors for giving us the opportunity to give back to our communities and start building a foundation for young children to join in. Indeed, leaders of tomorrow need to start being leaders today. You can donate today and support training programs and community service projects in various community schools.

If you live in Nigeria, you can also volunteer in some of our programs. Help MIND Foundation to do more. Help us to build a good foundation for tomorrow’s leaders. Make your donation today.

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.

To inspire means “to fill with the urge or ability to do or feel something, to create (a feeling) in a person." To lead means “to influence to do or believe something.” - Oxford Dictionary

 In the face of serious economic challenges in Nigeria, low income families have quite a number of issues to grapple with, chief of these being the availability of a steady income, medical care and education. The numbers of families who have access to these basic amenities are few in number (when compared to the demand) and the current level of poverty in the country has also led to an increase in crime, youth restiveness, child labour and sometimes child abandonment.

 With the support of Global Giving donors and other local partners, MIND Foundation continues to provide children from disadvantaged homes with the opportunities and tools to achieve excellence regardless of their economic circumstances. A recent intervention was the 2012 MIND Leadership (Holiday) Camp held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State from 6^th to 11^th of August. The 1-week event was attended by 141 students from 8 community schools within the State and it featured inspiring workshops in ICT, Arts ‘n’ Craft, Sports, Dance, Leadership sessions and more.

The theme of this year’s camp - “Inspired to Lead” was borne out of a need for young people to take responsibility for their actions and choose to be positive influence even in the midst of so much negativity. The camp theme was reinforced through all camp activities, providing inspiration for students to discover their talents, and the tools to transform their ideas into action.

The camp featured many inspiring opportunities for students to express their creativity through projects in basket weaving, shoe making, hand-sewn bags and beaded flower vases. There was enhanced awareness of life skills and leadership development issues, including the achievement gap as well as the availability of adult mentors to support their leadership development and service-learning action plans.

 From this event, several leadership clubs have been formed and MIND kids are in the fore front of taking action for change in their communities. We sincerely thank you for giving to our project and the opportunity to make a difference. We urge you not to relent in your kind support.

We thank you and hope to hear from you.

In keeping up with global technology trends, computers have become increasingly present in educational settings such that it is no longer questioned if the use of technology is considered developmentally appropriate. However, the ratio of students to computers particularly in developing countries, is considered very poor. In Nigeria, the number of students who lack access to this important educational resource is higher than those who have access (regardless of the student to computer ratio).

Since 2007, MIND Foundation has been working to reduce the number of digitally illiterate children and youth in Nigeria by providing access to computers for disadvantaged students in a 1:1 ratio, through a free ICT-based training program for students of resource-poor schools and rural communities.

 With funding from Global Giving Donors, MIND expanded this program in 2012, to include new students from 4 community schools in Rivers State namely: Community Secondary Schools in Nkpolu Oroworukwo, Onne, Oroworukwo and Igwuruta respectively. In spite of their economic circumstances, these rural students are gaining life skills and experiences to make informed decisions about their future, contribute to their communities and lead outstanding lives.

Through the use of technology, they have gained IT skills for self-learning as well as  collaborative learning where the open sharing of information is helping students to work as teams and commit to finding and developing ideas or solutions that would benefit their peers, schools and communities. An example is the ‘Malaria Project’ recently carried out by MIND Kids from Comprehensive Community Secondary School, Rumukwurushe in Rivers State.

The Project: Malaria Awareness Campaign

Malaria kills children. In Africa, the death toll is estimated at 600,000 children in a year with sub-saharan Africa having the highest death record which places Nigerian children among those at higher risk.

MIND kids in Rumukwurushe recently embarked on a research to gather extensive information from the internet and discussions with professionals on the statistics, likely causes, early symptoms and preventive measures of this deadly disease. With the combination of ICT skills and knowledge gained, MIND kids carried out an awareness campaign within their school community, educating their peers (through audio/visual digital tools) on the effects of Malaria and how to keep themselves free from contacting the disease by adopting hygienic life styles and employing preventive measures such as the use of mosquito-treated nets amongst others. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSrcqg9mywE

In over 5 years of providing free learning programs to disadvantaged children in Nigeria, MIND has impacted over 1,280 direct beneficiaries and we can truly say that the skills and experiences acquired in the MIND programs have positioned these children for great possibilities in future.

In accomplishing this, the support from our donors has been invaluable. We value your advice, technical expertise and financial support in enabling us reach children in various communities and we believe that together, we can achieve more. Please let us know what you think of our project and the impact it is making or how else you can support our mission so that more Nigerian children will have the resources to exploit their potential and rise above their current circumstances.

You can send us an email at  info@mindafrica.org

Thank you!

Program activities kicked off in ernest in February, 2012 with the enrollment of 4 new schools in the MIND program schedule for 2012. These new schools are community secondary schools located in various communities (Onne, Nkpolu, Oroworukwo and Igwurutta) in Rivers State and have satisfied the selection criteria for participation.

For a country largely affected by its oil revenues, the recent increase in cost of petrol has largely affected all areas of the Nigerian economy since January, 2012. This has ultimately affected the quality of life of Nigerian families putting the low income families, especially children, at further disadvantage.

With the inclusion of 4 additional schools in the MIND school program, MIND is helping to curb the risks that these disadvataged children are exposed to by giving them opportunities to gain educational and life skills that would help them rise out of poverty and have a better future.

The donations received from the Global Giving Challenge has helped us to commence training in various communities with additional 120 students across the State, however, we need more support to fully implement the enriched curriculum planned for the year.

MIND plans to enrich a minimum of 500 disadvantaged children through its free learning program within this year who can in turn mentor their peers and help give disadvantaged children hope for a better tomorrow.