“Children can dream bigger than their environment,” this organization insists

Amoo Vivian knows what it means to grow up with nothing. Born and raised in the slums of Ile-Ife, she faced poverty and societal neglect that left deep scars on her childhood. Her father, with three wives, struggled with alcoholism and failed to provide for his family. Vivian’s mother, the third wife, shouldered the burden of raising her children, often working menial jobs to keep them afloat.

Living in the slums meant being surrounded by thugs, drug dealers, and child predators. There was no dream and no way to reach it even if she had one.

Her life took an even darker turn when, at just four years old, she fell from a rickety wooden bridge while searching for water, breaking her right thigh. The accident left her bedridden for years, delaying her education and adding another layer of hardship to her young life.

When her parents’ marriage dissolved, Vivian moved with her mother to a different part of Ile-Ife. The new neighborhood, though not entirely peaceful, provided some reprieve from the chaos. “For the first time, I could walk home without seeing boys smoking or worrying about a perverted uncle calling me his iyawo kekere (small wife),” she said.

Despite this fresh start, the challenges persisted. Her mother, a single parent, worked tirelessly to support four children. Vivian began attending a private school, but the emotional toll of her upbringing weighed heavily. “Growing up in that environment crushed my self-esteem,” she admitted. “I believed I was nothing and could never be anything. That mindset followed me everywhere.”

But she persevered, aced her papers and got admitted to study Law at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, in Southwest Nigeria.

So in May  2023, Vivian revisited her childhood neighborhood. The sight of children playing barefoot on dusty streets brought back memories of her own struggles. “I remembered going to neighbors’ houses just to watch television or sleeping on mats because we didn’t have beds,” she said.

Moved by these reflections, Vivian posted a video of her interactions with the children. The video resonated with viewers online, encouraging her to take action. “People started reaching out, asking how they could help. That’s when I realized I could do something meaningful,” she said.

And in June that year,  she officially launched Vivi’s Initiative, a platform that attended to children with a background and hers, and with the vision to show them that they too can reach their dreams. 

Nigeria’s blinding poverty

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, faces a significant challenge with poverty. Approximately 75 million Nigerians live in multidimensional poverty, characterized by a lack of access to education and opportunities to dream and aspire for a better future. This poverty significantly hampers a child’s potential, limiting their educational attainment, health, and social and emotional well-being. It can also lead to challenges such as stigma, discrimination, and restricted social mobility.

According to UNICEF, poverty from a child’s perspective extends beyond financial hardship. Children often perceive poverty as the absence of essential resources like shelter, education, nutrition, clean water, and healthcare. The lack of these basic necessities creates deficits that are difficult to overcome later in life.

Even when children are not overtly deprived, having fewer opportunities compared to their peers in any of these areas can constrain their future prospects. UNICEF reports that in Nigeria, 24.36% of children live below the international poverty line, surviving on less than ₦275.25 per day.

And having experienced this, Vivian insists that she will ensure others see the light, one child at a time.  “Maybe if someone had come to my neighborhood and treated me as more than just a ‘girl from those dirty places,’ love and hope could have been easier,” she reflected.

A party for everyone

Vivi’s initiative focuses on underserved communities, providing both material support and opportunities for children to envision a life beyond their struggles. The organization organizes book drives, distributes school supplies, gives motivational talks, and even hosts parties for children.

In December 2023, the group  hosted a Christmas party for children  in Aba-Gboro, distributing gifts and essential items to over 70 children.The group this year held an outreach  to Gbenlenkan, focusing on hygiene education and distributing toothbrushes, toothpaste, and soap to over 80 children. This outreach was funded by a ₦50,000 seed grant from The 234 Project’s Community Impact Challenge.

Rukayat, a mother whose children benefited from the first and fourth outreach events, described the impact on her family. She said, “We used the materials they shared with the children, and we were very happy about it.”

Despite its growing impact, Vivi’s Initiative faces significant challenges with funding, relying heavily on donations to sustain its programs. The lack of resources has limited the organization’s ability to expand its reach.

Maintaining volunteer morale is another hurdle. Most of the volunteers are students, and balancing their academic responsibilities with volunteer work can be exhausting. When a decline in morale is noticed, Vivian actively engages with the individual, working collaboratively to find a solution.

Despite these challenges, Vivian remains steadfast in her mission. She believes that “A smile on a child’s face is more than just words; it is a reminder of how a little act of kindness can light up a child’s world and create lasting joy. Together, let us keep spreading smiles, one child at a time.”

This story was produced with the support of Nigeria Health Watch through the Solutions Journalism Network, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to rigorous and compelling reporting about responses to social problems.