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Continental cross-border payments company, Chipper Cash, has partnered Executives Initiative to combat illiteracy in Lagos.
Tagged: ‘Chipping Away Illiteracy through Football’, the 1-day Tarkwa Bay Community Impact initiative with Chipper Cash aimed at targeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). According to Abi Animashaun, Chipper’s Country Director for Nigeria, the initiative “demonstrates Chipper’s commitment to foster collaborative partnerships which help in advancing social development and lifelong skills in indigent children across the continent.”
The day began with the Chipper team visiting several public and private schools within the Tarkwa Bay community in Lagos where scholarships were awarded to best performing students. A football tournament took place not long after the presentation.
On why Tarkwa Bay was chosen for the programme, he explained that in 2020, several thousands residents of the Lagos shanty waterfront were displaced with no alternatives for support.
“And this is a community where people lack the basic amenities such as electricity and potable water. With such a huge gap in life’s basic necessities, it would be unimaginable the effects of the eviction on the children born out of and raised by this community. As such, Chipper Cash believes education was the most salient driver for the initiative, as most of the children in the community had dropped out of school to play football and surf on the beach.
“Football, a unique unifier, gave a significant push towards the classroom where the children’s love for the sport was encouraged and their passion and excitement for learning became apparent when the possibilities of scholarships were presented. As they all saw it as an opportunity to grow beyond their circumstances.
This initiative targeted the organisation of a beach football tournament in which over 150 primary and secondary school children won ‘back to school’ essentials and scholarships.”
Dare Asobele, Founder, Executives Initiative, commented: “We’re excited to partner with Chipper Cash to put a smile on the faces of these young stars and we hope to create a chain reaction of love that will promote collaboration and philanthropy.”
In her remarks, Goldie Iyamu, Marketing Campaign Manager, Chipper Cash, noted, “Education is important to create a world where irrespective of your station or status, any child with a dream and requisite determination can be a future leader of industry or government.”
