Day 3:
In the game of chess, the pawn is the piece with the least value nd could very easily be lost in the game with little consequence, but it does have the ability to become the most valuable if it’s able to March to the end of the board.

The kids began their own March today
They were able to master the names and arrangement of the pieces on the chess board today, they were also introduced to chess notation and a couple of them were able to identify squares on the board using coordinates.
Super humbling seeing them learn at such remarkable pace😊
Interestingly, more girls turned up for the training today than boys which is awesome!
We ended up having to train 56 children today instead of the 30 we initially planned for.
Just couldn’t stand seeing the other kids Cry from being left out😅.

Spot the next Beth Harmon here😎
Seeing the spark and curiosity in their eyes when they first spotted the chess board reminded me of my first time-it was love at first sight😊
The beauty of chess in is in the way it liberates the mind and trains the mind of a child to find novel solutions to evolving problems. Image
Unfortunately, I had to leave Makoko today as my health failed me. Been feeling feverish for the past couple of days but I ignored the signs, finally went to the hospital today for a blood test and I was diagnosed with Bacterial infection + Malaria.
Might go home if it gets worse ImageImage
The amazing @chessinslums team held the forte in my absence today and as much as I hate that I’m missing out on important moments, I have to prioritize my health so I can be strong enough to join the team as soon as possible.

Kudos to these amazing people🖤 ImageImage
We go again tomorrow 💪🏾🖤
#makokochessdream

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More from @Tunde_OD

29 Apr
Day 4&5:

Today we discovered a boy with Spastic cerebral palsy being mocked by his peers, we brought him into our training center and introduced him to Chess.
Few minutes into learning board arrangement and pawn movements, he outperformed everyone in his class.
The Boy’s name is Fredinard and he’s a differently abled child.
With tremendous burdens, often comes enormous gifts. I think Fredinard just found his gift of chess and there’s no limit to what he can attain with this. Image
He doesn’t speak any English word and has never been to school before, but today he showed a rare understanding of Chess through Pattern recognition.
The real super heroes live in the hearts of these little children like Fredinard fighting big battles🖤. Image
Read 4 tweets
27 Mar
How it started How it finally ended.
They live in a Mini flat now and their Bedroom has gotten a proper face lift too😅❤️
The transition for them hasn’t exactly been easy but I know it will all come together eventually 😊 and they’ll get more comfortable with their new reality.
Read 12 tweets
14 Mar
Happy Mother’s Day to the valiant women who hold our world together with love.
In loving memory of the beautiful mother in this picture who gave her life for the sake of her children, It is important to share her story with the world.

A thread...
November 2018, I met a boy(Ayomide), he was exceptional during our chess training sessions. I wanted to meet his parents and tell them how amazing their son was.
He took me to a dusty shed where a woman sat calmly in a plastic chair...
He hugged her and said that was his mum.
She had such a beautiful smile, I remembered seeing the same smile on her son’s face whenever he won a chess game😊
I introduced myself as her son’s chess coach.
She went on to explain how she had always wanted to come thank us for the impact on her son’s life...
Read 27 tweets
19 Feb
I met the little boy in this video a couple of months ago on my way home from work. It was raining heavily.
I had just alighted at my bustop when i spotted him picking scrap from the floor into a sac.

He was undeterred by the downpour, i walked up to him and took him to a shed.
He was shivering terribly and spoke very incoherently.
He had very yellow eyes with a lot of facial scars which is quite disturbing for a boy that young. He couldn't have been more than 10 years old but he had the eyes of one who had been through the terrible rigours of life.
I asked if he was hungry and he nodded in the affirmative, so i got some food and took him to the community health centre where he was diagnosed with blood infection and malaria.
We got the required medication and
my friend took him home.
These pictures were taken on that day. ImageImageImage
Read 24 tweets
20 Jul 20
Happy #InternationalChessDay!
To me,chess is so much more than just a game,it is the very foundation upon which my life's purpose was built on.
It was love at first sight some 15 years ago and it has only grown stronger ever since.
Thread...
As a way to celebrate Chess today,the world governing body of chess @FIDE_chess ,is asking chess players to teach people who do not know how to play yet.
There's a general misconception about chess being a boring game reserved only for a few intellectuals.
This is not accurate😅,playing Chess is one of the most fascinating life experiences and this is why it has lived through several centuries and is still relevant to this day.
Read 14 tweets
26 May 20
Happy birthday to the little girl whose smile changed my entire world.
It all started about two years ago when i walked into the slums of majidun ikorodu lagos with a chess board and a pocket full of dreams.

A Thread...
I wanted to introduce chess to vulnerable children living in slum communities as a way to promote learning and enhance intellectual development. It was my own way of giving them a new kinda leverage as most of them couldn't afford to go to school.
It was on this day i met Basirat- a five year old girl who kept tugging at my trousers to give her a chess piece to hold on to.
We introduced the kids to the game of kings and queens and took memorable pictures.
Read 19 tweets

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