Educate and Train 100 Disadvantaged Children

Project Report | Jan 7, 2016
Discovering Talents, Empowering People

By Ufuoma E-Ashogbon | CEO/Project Leader

Favour was saved by the Judges!

Six months ago, we started on the search for young talents in Nigeria among the less fortunate population. The aim was to add five children, who are gifted in diverse ways, to the 16 children we support with academic sponsorship through our Disadvantage to Adavantage Initiative. We called for applications from across the South West, and received over ten dozen. These applicants were all assessed in their homes by our social workers, who also compiled proof of the children's talents for a team meeting to decide if they would move to the second round, and be invited auditions.

75 children were invited to take part in auditions to be shortlisted as our TOP 30 to compete during the Talent Search Week. 65 children came to showcase their talents on the 31st of October at the Standard Alliance Event Hall, Lekki. Some children made a lasting impression, and it was obvious they would go far in the competition. However, the game changer would be how they performed during the Talent Search Week.

28 children took part in the Fair Life Africa Talent Search, which was organised in partnership with Ultima Limited. Two dropped out due to conflicts with their academic calendar. 13 were eliminated from the competition to leave 15 standing on the last day. Only five were assured the prize of five years sponsorship with Fair Life Africa Foundation, to develop their talents in arts, crafts or sports, and ultimately achieve their potential.

12 year old Dancer, Faith from Akwa-Ibom State was a sure winner from the first time we saw her during the auditions at SA Event Hall in October. On Sunday the 20th of December, at the Ultima Studios, she took one of the five coveted slots to join our FLA Kids and receive five years sponsorship to develop her skill and pursue her passion.

14 year old Actress, Ibukun from Osun State, was also one of the Top Five. 15 year old Singer, Victor from Delta State, secured his position among the winners when he closed the show with his passionate version of 'iyawo mi' by Timi Dakolo and serenaded Mrs Ashogbon! 16 year old Footballer, Daniel from Abia State and 17 year old Fine Artist, Ramon from Oyo State took the last two slots in the Top Five.

However, a twist to the night happened when the judges decided to bring back 12 year old Bead Maker, Favour from Akwa-Ibom State, after she was reluctantly eliminated from Friday's show. Based on her performance in the finale, Ms Abe Soyemi, Mr Biano Efubi and her trainer, Ms Chinyere George have decided to sponsor her as our sixth winner!

It was truly a marvelous end to a great search! We have found some really talented children and added to our #FLAKids another six children! Also, Mrs Benedicta Soetan of The Society of Performing Arts Nigeria has decided to sponsor 9 year old dancer, Chidinma from Imo State, who is also very talented, but didn't make the #TopFive. In addition to this, Newsong Academy have pledged a musical contract with our singer, Victor, and extended training and talent development to the other three contestants in the musical category!

We are so proud of all the children and appreciate all our sponsors who have joined us to add magic and cheer to this Christmas for the less fortunate! We appeal for your support to help us to make these children's dreams come true by sponsoring a child with us.

Thank you for your support which helps us to do greater things each year! From all the FLA Team and the FLA Kids, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year!

Victor has new hope for his musical ambition

Actress Pam Baldwin-Eze trains the kids in drama

Abe, Ariyike, Biano and Kemi served as judges

Ufuoma poses with Faith after the finale

Event Flyer

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Sep 24, 2015
Innovation & Value Creation in a Fast Paced World

By Chukwuemeke Ndego | Administrator

Our After Summer School Trip to Lufasi Park

It takes sheer ingenuity to get anyone's attention these days. From the economy to technology, arts or sports, everything seems to be moving at an alarming speed and sometimes it feels like you’re running a hundred metres dash just to stay abreast of the latest trends. It's really a fast paced world. A common thread in all of these changes is innovation and value creation. It's all about meeting real and perceived needs in a new and better way.

Over the years, Fair Life Africa Foundation has been championing empowerment of the disadvantaged in society through practical social initiatives. Through our first initiative, Care Continuity Challenge, geared towards street children, we hosted Breakfast and talk for the children in Kuramo, as a means to know and relate with them. We then ran two concurrent rehabilitation sessions with the aim of reconciling street children with their families, and putting them back on track to an impactful life. Most of these children are back at home and engaging in meaningful activities (vocational or academic), and three, in particular, are currently preparing for entry into a tertiary institution!

Our new Disadvantage to Advantage (D2A) Initiative currently has 15 children enrolled, who enjoy full academic scholarship. In December 2015, five more children who are talented or gifted will join the FLA Family after an intensive Talent Search Competition, as they will be sponsored to pursue their passions in arts, crafts, sports or other vocations. We are very excited about this Christmas event, and are looking for more partners to make it a success.

Over the Summer School Break, we teamed up with Salt Society and four other socially conscious organisations to host a programme for the FLA Kids. It was focused on training the children with life skills and incorporating a thirst for learning! We also partnered with JET Recruitment Professionals, in September, for an employability seminar/job fair for job seekers. This is yet another way that we add value to society, by “empowering people for a fairer life”, so that they too can make a positive impact, rather than be a strain on progress!

Collaboration has been our modus operandi from day one, and we’ve always been known to see an opportunity, where people see an obstruction. A recent visit to a local school, run by one of our children’s parents, has sparked the new innovative FLA Schools Project, which we are currently developing. The idea of the project is to enhance small schools within impoverished communities by renovating their grounds, investing educational resources, equipping their faculty, and creating a safer, more secure and child-friendly environment for learning. This ties in with our Disadvantage to Advantage Initiative, as we will be able to send more children from within these communities to our FLA Schools, for free!

It's been an interesting journey so far and as always, we are grateful to everyone who has contributed financially or otherwise to the progress of our work. We are passionately driven to surpass our targets and break through on new areas of improving the quality of life of the human race. Thank you for noticing and supporting our efforts!

Group Photo with Abe Soyemi of Salt Society

Catering Class during Summer School

High unemployment means a full house at Job Fair!

Children at God Stars Academy (Pilot School)

Ufuoma, Stella (school owner) & Mariam (Volunteer)

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Jun 22, 2015
More Than Education, They Need Love!

By Njideka Raleke-Obiora | Public Relations Officer

Kids at Dreamworld Africana

Every child is unique and deserves the best in life, and working with kids through our initiatives keeps us in constant remembrance of this very true saying. As the month of May annually marks the Children’s Day celebration globally, we sought ways to express this love to the children under our care, so that they know that aside sponsoring their academic pursuit, we are also interested in their general development - and we do believe fun and enjoyment of life is part of that!

To mark the event, there was no better place than the very popular Inspiration FM children’s party in Lagos, Nigeria. The fun day out took place at the Dreamworld Africana Theme Park. It was an opportunity for them to meet other children from every part of the city and also a chance for them to meet with their sponsors, who were also invited. It was quite a memorable day for the kids, who enjoyed the roller coaster rides, the entertainment and sumptuous refreshments served. On the 30th, five lucky children joined us at the God's Children Got Talent (GCGT) Gompetition Grand Finale at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos. They were impressed by observing other young gifted children, and inspired to develop their own innate abilities too.

This June, we also celebrated Father’s Day for the boys on the 14^th with the help of our friends, The Brook Brothers (young men from The Waterbrook Church). The boys came in on Friday, the 13^th of June and were welcomed by our Admin Officer, Emeke, and Intern, Joe, who as big brothers had a heart to heart session with them on what it takes to be a father and the challenges they face as growing boys. On Saturday, the boys arose early to meet with the Brook Brothers for a football match and refreshments. The Brothers are great role models for the children, who despite disadvantage, learn by exposure that true fortune is gained by hard work.

These (and other) activities, we organise for our children are part of our efforts to invest in and equip them with what they need to be better men and women in future.

Topmost on our list in the coming months are plans for our Talent Search Week in August. So far, we have adopted 15 children into the new Disadvantage to Advantage Initiative, and they are all under academic scholarship. Through the Talent Search Competition we hope to discover more children with other talents and skills to sponsor under our initiative. Applicationsions are already coming in, and we plan to select the best five at the end of the competition for sponsorship. We have already come across children with great potentials whose limitation in life is just the economic status of their families. We might not be able to sponsor all of them, but we believe this platform will open up opportunities for them to be discovered by other well-meaning individuals or organization to intervene.

We look forward to reporting on how it went! Thanks for your support and encouragement.

Sponsors pose with their children

They enjoyed all the attractions

Five lucky kids with Ifeoma at GCGT Finale

At the Pitch with the Brook Brothers

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