Education Nigeria Project #14659

Help us keep this school running

by Shining Light Beach School Foundation

Project Report | Mar 11, 2016
Education is the Key

By Megan Pokluda | Board Member

The JSS3 Students

In Nigeria, in order to advance to Senior Secondary School, or the United States’ equivalent of high school, one must pass an exam called the WAEC. The WAEC is necessary for all students in Junior Secondary School 3 (JSS3), or the United States’ equivalent of 8^th grade, if one wishes to advance to the next level of education. Due to logistical and monetary complications that arose about a month ago, we didn’t know if our hardworking JSS3 kids were going to be able to take the WAEC or not. We are too proud of our kids to have them stop now, thus The Board decided to sponsor our 10 current JSS3 kids for the costs they will need to take the exam! We are eager to see them succeed and to take their educational achievements to the next level! The test will be held in June and will last for 2 weeks. We know our kids have what it takes to conquer the WAEC!

We continue to believe that their education is the key to getting them out of an impoverished life. Thus, we feel passionately about helping them reach new milestones of education. Our hearts are always touched when we see how excited the kids at The Beach School are to learn and excel in their educational journey. We feel privileged to help them.

Another current project at the school is the “school boat” that will be finished this week! We are eager to share pictures and the story behind the boat next month when we deliver it to the school.

Though we continue to bring food each month in order to help keep the minds of the students focused on learning, we also continue to be happy about the efforts that Lady Salami is making towards food self-sustainability. Her efforts to raise chickens and local crops at the school continue to prosper and we are excited about the progress that she is making! Her determination to make the school a better place is inspiring.

Our goals this year continue to be:

Deliver the school boat so that kids who live across the creek from the school can arrive safely
Help support Lady Salami in her efforts to achieve food self-sustainability by bringing food out each month while she strives to reach her goal
Maintain the generators in order to keep lights on in the classrooms and computers on for learning
Provide water well covers in order to insure the safety of the students

On behalf of The IBSF Board, we thank you so much for your support!

Lady Salami receiving money for WAEC testing

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Dec 17, 2015
The Polar Express: Lagos Edition

By Megan Pokluda | Board Member

‘Tis the season to be jolly! We hope that you are having a wonderful holiday season so far! Last week at The Beach School and at Ife Oluwa, our hearts were filled with the spirit of the season. As always, Santa’s IBSF elves were busy shipping, collecting, and wrapping gifts throughout the year for our favorite students! What a joy it was when we arrived at both schools to deliver Christmas gifts.

As we arrived at The Beach School, we couldn’t wait to pass out the Christmas gifts to the students. After we gave Lady Salami the food for the month and checked on the maintenance of the school, it was time to pass out gifts! This year, each child received a book, a pencil pouch filled with school supplies, and a little silver bell. Though the kids were excited about them all, I couldn’t help but notice that each child was particularly intrigued by the bell, which had been made into a necklace for them thanks to a piece of yarn. The simple gift created a profound joy in the hearts of the kids. It was as if each child found the magic of Christmas upon hearing the bell. For many of us, the magic of Christmas and the silver bell are surrounded by the mystery of Santa Claus in The Polar Express. However, for these kids, the bell didn’t symbolize Santa, his elves, his reindeer, or the gifts that we anticipate to be under the tree. For these kids, the bell simply symbolized that someone cared for them. How beautiful those bells rang as the kids ran around on the hot sand, chasing bubbles from a bubble machine that a volunteer brought. How magical it was to experience a joy that was simply rooted in care and love that the holidays bring. As we were leaving, I couldn’t help but hope that the bell would still ring for all the students at The Beach School and at Ife Oluwa who truly believe in the hope of their future, and in the care and support of our organization.

We cannot thank you enough for your support and generosity. Your donations are continuing to provide food for the kids and helping to keep the lights on in both schools, which prevent distractions for the students during their lessons. You are making a powerful difference in the lives of these kids and we thank you. May you and your family have a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year.

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Sep 16, 2015
Welcome, New School Year!

By Megan Pokluda | Board Member

School kicked off this week, but before it did, our volunteers were busy helping the teachers prepare for their new students the week before! It was a beautiful day that was filled with laughs, sunshine, and of course, some cleaning! As some of our volunteers helped the teachers rid the spider webs from the shelves, clean the desks, and organize the rooms, Lady Salami was busy showing our other volunteers the hard work that had continued during the summer break.

The teachers and Lady Salami didn’t get much of a break as they continued to look after the prosperous chicken coop that they are looking forward to utilizing the benefits of this school year. To compliment their growing desire to become more self-sufficient in nurturing their students, their crops were well looked after and continued to grow in great number during the break! Though our foundation is still in the midst of our Hot Lunch Program, which brings out rice, beans, oil, semolina, spices, and other staples monthly to nurture the students, great progress in regards to self-sustainability is certainly happening and inspiring hard work out at the school!

A new soak away, which helps with properly disposing of the waste from the restrooms, was installed during the break. With its proper installation, the school’s maintenance was made ready for the arrival of the students. With maintenance in order, classrooms cleaned, fresh food in supply, and happy teachers, we left eager to be a part of this new school year and watch the school’s doors welcome the students, new and old!

In the upcoming school year, our foundation will continue to meet our goals of the following:

Help Lady Salami become more reliant on her crops and on the chicken coop while providing staples through our Hot Lunch Program until self-sustainability can be achieved
Help to ready a new “school boat” for the children who live on the opposite side of the water get to school safely and efficiently
Make sure that each child receives a proper education in a safe and healthy environment
Continue our assistance with the maintenance and bettering of the school

We are currently in the midst of preparing for our Annual Silent Auction! As our biggest annual fundraiser, the proceeds help us to meet our annual goals for the school.

On behalf of Lady Salami, the teachers, and the students of Ishahayi, we thank you for your compassionate giving and ongoing support. It is because of you that the future of this village is looking brighter.

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