Last week Adamawa State, particularly the zones around Yola and the IDP Camps (Internally Displaced People’s Camps). The entire buzz came from the Chess Awareness and Back-to-school campaign put together by the Queen Vee Chess Academy in Yola. The programme was another yet put together by Queen Vee Chess Academy run by Vivian Ibrahim, a former beauty queen in the state.
These past years, she has put her energy into giving children in the Internally Displaced People’s Camp opportunities for education using chess as a game channel. Last week the programme got higher as it was pushed to the streets.
Ms Vivian says it was indeed a great leap for the programme.
“No we don’t have sponsors yet, but one of the kids from the IDP camp will be joining kids from Chess-in-Slums for the exchange programme in the USA next year.
“I organised this and asked Tunde Onakoya (Chess in Slums) if he could be a part of it and he obliged. And that was very helpful for our campaign. It’s something that we want to continue to do over time.
“We did not hold any fundraiser because our intention was purely raising chess awareness and back to school campaign. And we can proudly say it was successful.
“We were able to have a courtesy visit to the Government House and mobility within Adamawa State during the programme was possible from the support we got from the government.”
A total number of 30 kids participated from 2 IDP camps, Malkohi IDP camp and EYN IDP camp.
The whole idea was to raise awareness and hopefully raise some sponsorship for these kids’ education and other needs. A lot of them are not in school and Ms Vivian has been responsible for the school fees of about 20.
“We are hoping that we get scholarships so that the burden could be lifted off my shoulders,” she said.
About four of these kids from the IDP camps featured in the National Youth Games held in Asaba, Delta State in September with one of them finishing 4th narrowly in his competition.
