By
August 20, 2022
Founder of Chess In Slums Africa, Tunde Onakoya, has given an update on Odunayo, a young girl whom he stopped from hawking and put in school.
He shared old and recent photos of the girl two years after he enrolled her in school after meeting her on the streets hawking.
According to Tunde she was spotted hawking fish in Ikorodu with her little brother, whom he also took off the streets.
The Chess master revealed that Odunayo just concluded her first year in school and passed her exams.
Tunde recounted being moved to help her after hearing her story of assault at the hands of a 40-year-old man.
Sharing before vs after photos on August 19, he wrote;
”TODAY MAKES IT EXACTLY TWO YEARS SINCE I MET ODUNAYO HAWKING FISH ON THE STREETS OF MAJIDUN IKORODU WITH HER LITTLE BROTHER.
A LOT HAS HAPPENED SINCE THEN, BUT TWO WEEKS AGO, SHE COMPLETED HER FIRST YEAR OF SCHOOL AND PASSED HER EXAMINATIONS😊
A THREAD…
I SHARED THEIR BEAUTIFUL STORY HERE SOMETIME LAST YEAR 😊 OH HOW TIME FLIES…
I REMEMBER HOW I WOULD ALWAYS GO TO THEIR HOUSE FOR THE FIRST FEW WEEKS TO TEACH THEM CHESS AND BASIC LITERACY. SHE HAD BEEN A VICTIM OF SEXUAL ABUSE FROM A 40 YEAR OLD PEDOPHILE IN THAT COMMUNITY. IT WAS ON THIS DAY I SWORE TO BE A PART OF LIVES AND KEEP THEM SAFE FOREVER.
ODUNAYO HAD BEEN THROUGH SUCH A TURBULENT CHILDHOOD THAT WE HAD TO PUT HER THROUGH 3 MONTHS OF THERAPY AND COUNSELING BEFORE SHE COULD TRUST/TALK TO ANYONE AGAIN. SHE’S NOW GROWING INTO A YOUNG CONFIDENT LADY WHO LOVES TO PLAY CHESS AND VIDEO GAMES.
ODUNAYO AND HER BROTHER LIVED WITH ME FOR THE FIRST ONE YEAR SINCE I ADOPTED BOTH OF THEM, BUT AFTER SOMETIME I REALIZED SHE NEEDED MOTHERLY CARE THAT I COULDN’T GIVE. MY MUM TOOK ON THAT RESPONSIBILITY AND SHE HAS LIVED WITH MY PARENTS IN IBADAN EVER SINCE THEN.”
