3 kings, 1 knight: The intriguing story of winners of Chess in Slums competition and how their lives have been shaped under Oshodi bridge
In the past couple of months, the fantastic work of Chess in Slums Africa led by Tunde Onakoya has come to light. The non-profit organisation began in 2018 with the aim of using chess to give opportunities to underprivileged children living in slums in the country.
The initiative, designed to teach the children chess, is meant to stimulate their intellect in a gradual journey of self-discovery. The children are also mentored and guided by volunteers.
In 2021, the organisation went to Oshodi, where, under its bridge, some young out-of-school children live, risking their lives to fend for their daily bread. Over two weeks, the Chess in Slums initiative taught the children to play chess and engaged them in mental mathematics. At the end of the session, a competition was organised to test the children’s chess skills and mental mathematics. In the end, three winners emerged.
The training and competition organised under the bridge in Oshodi would not have been successful without the support of the older men living there, who helped to gather the children and provided much-needed security. Tunde Onakoya, in a series of tweets, highlighted their contribution. He wrote down their names and profession and shared the details online. A few of them so far have gotten work opportunities.
A lot has rightfully been written about the important work Tunde Onakoyo and his team is doing and its impact on the lives of the children in the slum.
But who are these children living under the bridge seen in photographs circulating online playing chess and looking excited at the prospect of the new world of chess they have been introduced to? How did they get there? Who are their parents? How has life been like living under the bridge exposed to the elements and at risk of danger? What made them leave home to choose under the bridge as their abode?
Neusroom answers these questions by delving into the lives of three of the children who came first, second and third position in the Chess in Slums competition. They tell the story of their different childhoods and the circumstances surrounding their ultimate trip to Oshodi to make it home.
Fawaz, who won the competition, tells the story of his life in Ibadan and how the death of his mother changed his life negatively; his move to the Iyana Oworo part of Lagos to live with his aunt after he was abandoned by his father and how he ended up living under the bridge in Oshodi.
Keji, who won the second prize, spoke of how he fled from Ibadan to Lagos because his parents considered him an evil child who had brought bad luck to the family.
Timileyin, who came third in the competition, reveals that his life has not been the same since he left home, and he regrets leaving the comfort of his mother to come to Lagos and struggle for survival under the bridge in Oshodi.
Neusroom also looks into the life of Taofik, one of the older men who has lived under the Bridge in Oshodi for years, and how marrying and raising a family while being homeless looks like.
