Our Children Take Center Stage at TEDx Talks in Lagos

Our outstanding children 13-year-old Maryam Alade and 15-year-old Emmanuel Okechukwu made us proud as they took center stage at TEDx Talks in Lagos today to speak about the importance of amplifying children’s voices.

A picture of the Makoko community, wherein Maryam and Emmanuel grew up, flashes on the screen as Maryam states that “this is my community it is called Makoko and I live somewhere around here, I love it, but guess what I didn’t choose all these things, we do not choose where we are born into.”

Mariam Alade and Emmanuel Okechukwu giving their speech at the 2019 TED x Lagos

Maryam and Emmanuel bravely stood in front of over 100 attendees at TEDx Lagos to speak about the strength of children in society. “People rarely care what I can do now or what impact I can create now, they just feel we are leaders of tomorrow, they often forget we can be leaders of today also,” Maryam continued as the crowd applauded.

For her exceptional academic performance, Maryam got a scholarship to Word of Faith Abuja and is currently in JSS2. Over the years, she has participated in several school competitions in STEM, essay writing, and storytelling. She won the Mainland Authority Merit Award, was a runner up in the Lagos State Merit Award and several other championships.

Mariam Alade and Emmanuel Okechukwu after their speech

Emmanuel, one of the best graduating students in his Junior Secondary School (JSS), spoke on the importance of creating an impact. Giving examples of many children making an impact, Emmanuel stated that “every child is like a candle in a dark room, and all they need are people who wouldn’t just see the candle but also the potential of that candle to light up that room.”

With over 30 million out of school children, the Nigerian educational system is in desperate need of a revamp. “Every child like myself and Emmanuel deserve a Nigeria that works for all of us, we deserve a Nigeria where every child can dream and watch that dream come through, we deserve a Nigeria where our right is nurtured, promoted and supported,” Maryam stated, “…we deserve teachers that wouldn’t just teach us about history but would inspire us to make history.”

Click here to watch the amazing video of our exemplary kids, Mariam Alade and Emmanuel Okechukwu.