By Pius Ayinor

Canadian philanthropist, Daven Prasher-Savoie. Prashar-Savoie was a guest of the Betharbel Free Elementary School for IDPs in Durumi FCT Abuja last weekend and the one-day event has opened up more opportunities for the pupils and the others involved with the game of Chess in the IDP camps in the northeast of Nigeria.

The visit enabled the Canadian to be a part of the school’s Economic Resilience Tech Bootcamp. The founder of the school, Mrs. Monisola Aiyekusehin is certain that the visit would boost the efforts to provide quality education and technology skills to the Internally Displaced Children.

As a part of the visit, Prashar-Savoie donated Arduinos and provided financial support to empower the children with essential technology skills. He also spent time teaching these young ones how to use the Arduino, and of which the children were clearly excited to learn. The visit culminated in a lunch to fuel the young innovative minds.

After meeting Vivian Ibrahim of the Queen Vee Chess Academy in a joint effort for the Gift of Chess initiative, Prashar-Savoie promised to visit the school. His expression showed his delight for the joint project undertaken by the Berthabel school and Queen Vee Chess Academy as he stated that empowering the children through education would help take them out of poverty. Prashar says he looks forward to returning and supporting the project further to demonstrate his commitment to the cause.

He said, “Empowering these children through education will bring them out of poverty. I’m impressed by the initiative and the impact it has on their lives. I look forward to coming back and supporting the project further.”

The Founder of Betharbel Free Elementary School for IDPs, Mrs. Monisola Aiyekusehin appreciated the support. “Education is the key to unlocking the potential of our children. At Betharbel Foundation, we are committed to providing a safe and supportive learning environment for IDPs, helping them overcome the challenges they face and build a better future.”

Vivian Ibrahim, of the Queen Vee Chess Club for IDPs, also acknowledged the support, saying, “Chess and technology education can transform lives. We’re grateful for the support of Gift of Chess, Chess in Slums, and Daven Prashar-Savoie, who share our vision of empowering IDPs through education.”

Betharbel Free Elementary School is a non-profit educational institution established by Betharbel Foundation to provide free education to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Nigeria. The school aims to bridge the education gap created by the North East insurgency, which has left many children without access to formal education. Since its inception in 2021, the school has successfully integrated over 110 displaced children, aged 6-15 back into formal education. The school provides a comprehensive curriculum, including technology education, to equip these children with essential skills for a brighter future as well as providing daily school meals.

The Economic Resilience Tech Bootcamp is an initiative of Betharbel Foundation, aimed at empowering IDPs with technology skills to enhance their economic resilience. The bootcamp provides training in areas such as coding, robotics, and digital literacy, bridging the digital divide and opening doors to new opportunities. The bootcamp is designed to equip IDPs with skills to improve their economic prospects, break the cycle of poverty, and build a better future.

Vivian Ibrahim has been a driving force in bringing chess education to these deserving children. With the support of Russell Mafosky, founder of Gift of Chess, and Tunde Onakoya of Chess in Slums, Vivian donated chess sets to Betharbel Free Elementary School for IDPs a few months ago. This generous act has enabled the pupils to enjoy the benefits of chess education, developing critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills.