Beyond the Classroom: The Decade-long Mission Empowering Underserved Children

As the Path to Possibilities Resource Centre recently marked its 10th anniversary, the celebration went beyond commemorating a milestone. It became a reflection on a decade of transforming lives through education, digital literacy and vocational skills acquisition for children and youths from underserved communities in Ikota, Lagos. Funmi Ogundare writes

In a modest community tucked away in Ikota, Lagos, where many children face uncertain futures due to poverty and limited access to quality education, a quiet revolution has been unfolding over the past  10 years.

Inside the Path to Possibilities Resource Centre, school children pore over books in a free library, teenagers learn computer skills on internet-enabled laptops, while in another corner, young people carefully stitch fabrics into dresses that could become the foundation of their economic independence.

For the organisation’s founder, Titilolami Bello, these activities represent far more than charity. They are practical solutions to what she describes as one of Nigeria’s greatest development challenges, the alarming rise in the number of out-of-school children.

As the organisation marked the 10th anniversary of its resource centre and celebrated the graduation of five young fashion design trainees, Bello delivered a hopeful and urgent message: Nigeria cannot solve its education crisis by relying solely on conventional classrooms.

“We are failing in the education system. When we started, Nigeria had about 10.5 million out-of-school children,” Bello told journalists. “Today, we have over 20 million. There is an investment in education that we need to make.”

For Bello, education should no longer be viewed through the narrow lens of certificates and university degrees. Rather, she believes vocational and digital skills must become central pillars of the country’s education system, noting that “not everyone will go to university, but everyone deserves an opportunity to earn a living”.

She argued that practical skills such as tailoring, plumbing, graphic design, social media management and other technical vocations can transform young people into productive citizens while reducing unemployment and poverty.

That philosophy, the founder added, has guided Path to Possibilities since its establishment in 2009.

What began as a scholarship programme supporting children from disadvantaged families, Bello said, has gradually evolved into a comprehensive community learning centre that now offers free library services, digital literacy training, vocational education and career development programmes.

Yet while lives continue to change within the resource centre, keeping its doors open has become increasingly difficult.

For the past five months, Bello revealed that the facility has not had access to the public electricity supply.

“Generators now power the computers, internet services and other learning facilities, significantly increasing operating costs,” she stated.

To ensure uninterrupted learning, she stated that the organisation hopes to install a solar energy system estimated at N18 million, which she said “is a lot of money for a small charity like ours”.

Despite the financial hurdles, the initiative’s impact continues to grow.

She disclosed that thousands of children have acquired basic computer literacy through the centre and that girls also receive free sanitary pads through donor-supported programmes, while regular career development workshops expose young people to interview techniques, curriculum vitae writing and workplace readiness skills.

Bello acknowledged the contributions of development partners, including Special Foundation and Trinity, as well as the cordial relationship enjoyed with the local government over the years.

She stated that greater public investment is essential for community-based initiatives to complement the government’s efforts to tackle Nigeria’s education crisis.

One of the trustees and Director of the charity, Funmilayo Akanmu, stated that the expansion became necessary because scholarships alone could not meet the community’s growing educational needs.

The organisation could only sponsor two or three children annually for six years of secondary education, a programme that has so far benefited about 20 students.

“But we wanted to reach many more children,” Akanmu explained.

That vision gave birth to the resource centre, which now opens six days a week and serves hundreds of children from schools across Ikota.

“Many public schools in the area lack functional computer laboratories, making the centre an important digital learning hub. Schools now operate schedules that allow pupils to visit the facility for reading sessions and practical computer lessons under the guidance of a full-time instructor,” Akanmu explained.

She said that every service, from internet access to computer training, is provided free of charge, adding that the newest addition to the centre, the tailoring programme, was introduced barely a year ago to support young people unable to continue formal education.

Five trainees recently completed the inaugural programme, each receiving practical training and a sewing machine to begin life after graduation.

Among them is Destiny Okwere Godwin, 18,  whose dreams now extend beyond simply gaining admission into university. Raised by a single mother alongside her younger sister, Godwin understands the weight of financial hardship.

Godwin recalled learning about the programme through her mother’s fashion designer and immediately embracing the opportunity.

“I like fashion, so when I heard about the programme, I grabbed the opportunity,” she said, admitting that the training was demanding at first, but her perseverance paid off.

Already capable of producing children’s outfits and other clothing, she said she plans to use the sewing machine she received to build a small business while studying at university.

“I’ll sew clothes for myself, and when my friends see them, they’ll ask me to make theirs too. That way, I’ll start earning my own money,” she said.

For another graduate, Jimoh Orilowo, the programme represents something even deeper.

Living with a disability, the 18-year-old refuses to allow physical limitations to define his future. Instead, fashion design has become both a passion and a pathway to independence. He hopes to continue improving his skills, establish himself professionally and earn a sustainable income through tailoring.