(Co-written by Njideka Raleke-Obiora and Simran Daryanani)

To say that the future of Nigeria lies in the children’s potentials cannot be overestimated.  Every parent’s dream is for the child to have better opportunities than they did.  As we celebrate Independence Day yet again, it is only proper that we evaluate what we as individuals have done and can continue to contribute, to chart a better course for the future of Nigeria – its children.

Did you know that a child’s socioeconomic status can affects his/her school performance?

In our experience, we have seen that a low socioeconomic status negatively affects a child’s development.  Psychologically, a child may lose their self-esteem and optimism and turn to addictions, aggression and exhibit significant behavioural difficulties.

Here at Fair Life Africa Foundation, we focus on investing in children, knowing that a positive impact in a child’s life equals impact in the nation’s future.  After all, we call our children the “Leaders of Tomorrow”.  Our approach is to continue to contribute in our own little way to the betterment of our country, starting from these children that will take over tomorrow’s leadership.

We have in so many ways put our hands to the work of Nigerian development, knowing that one child’s life is as important as the next.   In doing this we have in the past three and a half years focused on the ‘Street Child Agenda’ through our Care Challenge Continuity Initiative (CCCI).  Since April 2012, when we first opened our Rehabilitation Home, we enrolled and supported 21 former street boys, out of which 14 completed our programme.  Twelve were reconciled with their families, and two were transferred into alternative long-term care.  Some have successfully settled into academic education while some others are learning vocations of their choice.  You can read their touching stories through this link on our blog: http://fairlifeafricablog.com/category/case-studies/

Having learnt many lessons from operating the CCC Initiative, we have now set up the Disadvantage to Advantage Initiative, so that more children, who are also more likely to excel as a result of our intervention, can benefit from your support.  Consider the case of Sarah, a 12 year old girl, who lives with her mom and dad in Lagos.  She’s very gifted and is excelling in Maths and English at school.  However, when a fatal accident claims her dad’s life, her mom is distraught, and unable to continue to provide for Sarah and her younger brother and sister.  Without the money to pay for a second term in school, Sarah has to drop out to work and help her mother.  Sarah’s story is a common story for many children in Nigeria, who are brilliant but disadvantaged!  Through this initiative, Fair Life Africa aims to seek out these children within our communities, and with the help of your support and donations, ensure that they achieve their dreams and potentials!

So as we celebrate Nigeria today and hope for a greater tomorrow, we request your support in helping Fair Life Africa build the Nigerian future – ONE CHILD AT A TIME.

Please visit our GlobalGiving Project page to learn more about our Disadvantage to Advantage Initiative and see how you can get involved and support the work in kind or cash.  Thank you!

Happy Independence Day from the FLA Team and the FLA Kids!