the future: 2012

“We make a living by what we get, we make a living by what we give” – Winston Churchill

Love is nothing without sharing, life is nothing without giving; these words are our guiding principles. Every morning for six weeks, we woke up with a renewed resolve to live and move on just for the sake of children. Six weeks we spent with those beautiful children you see up there; with their charming smiles. These weeks where spent with them at Imota, a village in Ikorodu. Giving them free summer coaching.

It is our utmost belief that every child deserves to dream and achieve their goals. Rather unfortunate that some children don’t have this chance, probably due to circumstances beyond their control.

Indigenes of Zion Foundation is a Non-Governmental Organization founded by God. (Follow us on twitter @proejectIZF). Our major goal is to give every child the chance to dream, strive and achieve irrespective of their background or environment. One thing that we are sure about is that if children grew up according to early indications, we would have nothing but geniuses. (The pictures and references in this article are from the fourth outreach which took place from the 6^th August – 14^th September 2012)

The six weeks of free summer lesson at Imota was not a Cinderella story. Especially with management issues were there to deal with from time to time, the fact that we had to live there for those six weeks and cope with mosquitoes, lack of electricity, appearance of cockroaches in the room at midnight, sucking of unripe oranges/ grape; but all these were nothing compared to the smile and hope we saw on the faces of these children every morning. The fact that we could actually touch lives and make a change in this village kept us going every day.

Irony is in this village, the people are not going with the flow of the world. Education to them is superfluity, not something to be taken seriously as selling at the market. But in there all we saw was raw talent where others saw a bunch of village children.

There was it Shina the 10 year old aspiring artist.

Ajara the 13 year old who runs faster than a horse. And in whom we have confidence that with adequate training and opportunity she will win numerous gold’s for Nigeria at the Olympics.

Folake, the 14 year old with talented fingers that create beautiful and neat hair styles.

Ife who wants to be a fashion designer with her superb fashion sense that you’ll doubt she lives in a village, Daniel who wants to be a pilot, Gbenga who wants to be a professor/doctor. Too many to mention.

Too many raw talents with no one to cultivate and some of us sit at home and complain. Some of us just go on and on ranting about a better world without making any effort. We must know that talk is cheap. Get up and make a change. Join us in raising a new generation of leaders and reaching the children.

We may not be pop stars or show up on your television screen every minute. But we are popular to a group of village children in Imota and Ebute-Metta and that alone gives us joy because we are their hero. The grace that God has given us to put smile on their faces and gladden their innocent hearts is enough to pull us through. Our actions speak for us in their hearts. That alone is ultimate pleasure and we look forward to the days when these particular children whom the world forgets will come up and save that same world.

Every child must smile, laugh, dream and achieve. Get up and touch a child today. Some of our pictures are below. Enjoy and reach a child today follow us on twitter @proejectIZF (take note of the spelling; it’s not a spelling error. We have just begun

In all humility, written byOLUWASEYI OLUYOLE (The President): @sunkit1 on twitter

Indigenes of Zion Foundation: @proejectIZF on twitter

Myself, kofo (blind, deaf and dumb eight year old) and her friends Osio and Abigail