Zion Oshiobugie Graduates 66 Orphans and Vulnerable Children at 7th CleverMinds Ceremony

Sixty-six children graduated at the 7th Annual Ceremony of CleverMinds Educational Foundation, a youth-led initiative that provides free and affordable schooling for orphans and vulnerable children in Delta State.

The celebration held on the 10th of July 2025, themed “Empowered to Shine, Prepared to Grow,” was marked by songs, debates, and cultural performances that filled the hall with joy. Nursery pupils introduced themselves as future doctors, lawyers, and teachers. Primary students recited long passages from the Psalms, while others debated topics of justice and equality, danced in colourful attire, and performed ballet to loud applause.

Founded in 2017 by youth leader Zion Oshiobugie, CleverMinds has grown into a lifeline for disadvantaged children. Its Iyara campus runs tuition-free, providing uniforms, daily meals, and psychosocial care to pupils who would otherwise be out of school. A second school in Edjeba offers affordable learning to families struggling with private school fees. Together, the schools reach more than 325 children every day.

Since inception, CleverMinds has graduated 115 orphans and vulnerable children and served tens of thousands of meals. More than numbers, however, are the lives changed: a boy who once could not read now leads prayers before his peers; a girl once too shy to speak now debates with courage; a child who once came to class hungry now dreams of becoming a doctor.

Community leaders and pastors joined the celebration. One of them, Pastor Tobore David, recalled his own upbringing in a slum and urged the children never to give up on education and faith.

In his address, Oshiobugie reminded the graduates of their roots in Christ: “You are lights to the world. Go out and be excellent, wherever you find yourselves.”

Looking ahead, the Foundation announced plans to establish a CleverMinds Orphanage by 2027 to provide housing, discipleship, and holistic care for children in need. By 2035, its goal is to expand its model to reach 20,000 orphans and vulnerable children across Africa.

For the children who marched proudly across the stage, the ceremony was not just about certificates. It was a declaration that their stories though marked by poverty or loss are being rewritten with hope and possibility.