Yeshua’s Arm Nigeria
Our work started with our Child Sponsorship Program in 2005 to support orphans and the children of many widows that were out of school back to education. We provided them with private education to redress the education disadvantage they had suffered and ran this programme for 12 years. Some of the sponsored children went as far as getting university degrees. We also ran other programs until 2016 to support disadvantaged and vulnerable families including: Setting up a Widows Support Group and skills development programmes for the mothers of the sponsored children. Since 2016 we have focused on developing education programmes for disadvantaged children and safeguarding/parenting programmes for adults and parents in ill-resourced schools and hard to reach areas in Lagos, Nigeria to prevent child abuse and help them parent their children better.
What We Do
Literacy Classes:
Our dedicated team of educators visit schools weekly during term time conducting engaging literacy sessions to approximately 700 children weekly in various schools to ensure they develop their reading, writing and speaking skills. We are igniting imaginations and fostering a love of learning in vulnerable children. The impact of these
sessions extend beyond the classroom. By instilling a love for learning, we are empowering these children to break the cycle of poverty and create brighter futures for themselves and their communities.
Summer Literacy Programme:
This is a vibrant initiative aimed at nurturing and fostering a love for reading and learning among students in Grade 5 and 6 during the summer holidays. The programme emphasises fundamental literacy skills in speaking, writing and reading English on a yearly basis. Each attending child receives a Practice Nelson Handwriting book and a certificate of attendance. Not only does the programme enhance their literacy and social skills, but it also bolsters their self-confidence and self-esteem.
Playgrounds:
Our first playground was commissioned in a state school of approximately 500 children in 2022. We want to continue developing these alongside our stationary libraries in ill resourced schools. Playgrounds are essential for fostering collaboration amongst children and provide them with a designated area to play, learn and test out their social, creative skills and physical strength. It also allows them to get the exercise they need during the school day.
Nursery Class Refurbishment:
We aim to support the early years learning and development of children by helping to create bright and stimulating spaces that will encourage more early years children to come to school. We have created a pilot classroom for early years with brightly coloured age-appropriate toys, art materials and various learning aids which we aim to replicate with funding.
Stationary Libraries:
We have so far, built 4 brightly coloured, stationary libraries, each with over a thousand fiction and non-fiction books covering various genres of various levels in ill-resourced state schools. We have now created welcoming interesting spaces for these children who lacked access to books. The library boasts a diverse collection of books catering to the different interests of the children. This initiative marks a significant achievement for the children and schools, providing thousands of children over years with the opportunity to learn, develop, explore, and engage with books, even in the absence of sufficient teaching staff. Our goal is to create a narrative where every child, regardless of background or gender, can access quality books at school to enhance their intellectual growth and prepare them for the future.
Mobile Libraries:
Children in ill-resourced schools continue to be at a disadvantage in accessing quality education and education materials. We are redressing this through our mobile library initiative providing a wide range of books on a weekly basis to up to 9 of the 14 primary schools in the hard-to-reach area of Lagos, Nigeria called Ibeju-Lekki. This initiative has reached over 2000 primary school children in the past year alone.
Safeguarding and Child Protection Programmes:
We run a major Safeguarding and Child Protection conference and campaign yearly with parents, school staff and the general public and several others in schools during term time. Our 2023 conference was taken out of the four walls of the Town Hall where it is usually held to the streets, market and central mosque. Many adults, parents and carers were learning about the impact abuse had on children for the first time and were able to reflect and relate this to their own lives.
Volunteer with us and gain administrative, project work or family support work experience. We often need volunteers to run our programmes and pay transport and lunch costs. There are remarkable opportunities to make a significant difference in the lives of Black children and their families in need of our services.
Volunteer with us and gain administrative, project work or family support work experience. We often need volunteers to run our programmes and pay transport and lunch costs. There are remarkable opportunities to make a significant difference in the lives of Black children and their families in need of our services.