TheCable

Chess for Kids in IDP Camps, a programme aimed at teaching and training children that are internally displaced due to insurgency in northern Nigeria, has been launched in Yola, Adamawa.

More than 3 million children in the north-east have been displaced since the insurgency war started in the zone in 2009, according to UNICEF — with many of them lacking education and quality care.

Speaking at the launch on Friday, Vivian Ibrahim, founder of the chess academy, said she planned to use chess to develop the mental capacity of the displaced kids.

“For me, it is about using chess to help the kids through situations of uncertainty but ultimately to occupy their minds in a positive way as well as give them access to opportunities in life in the north-east and across Nigeria,” she said.

“The IDP Camps programme started early this year, although the Queen Vee Chess Academy in Yola had been teaching a lot of children how to play chess before then, in addition to organizing tournaments in Yola and environ.”

Ibrahim said she has funded the academy through personal effort and donations from friends and family.

The former computer science lecturer at the Adamawa State Polytechnic, who left the job in 2019 after a short stint, has since engaged in merchandise and philanthropy.

“I am highly motivated to help the kids grow and have meaning for their lives. I think their positive response has encouraged me further, so I look forward to more progress in the years ahead,” she said.