The journey to the OPEN BOOK campaign in the Ajiran community started off as a visit to the Ajiran community primary school which was at the time temporarily situated within the vicinity of the Ajiran central mosque due to ongoing construction work happening at the school’s permanent site. During this visit to the school, CRCi was able to assess the school and the community as possible candidates to return to with the CRCi Open Book campaign.
Following the decision, CRCi quickly engaged the teachers and headmaster of the school, the Community Secretary, the Oba (King), and his leadership team to declare our intentions, solicit approval, and venue to organize the event. In no time, we received the buy-in and approvals required to launch our campaign in the community on the proposed date.
As scheduled, on June 12, 2019, the CRCi team, ready as ever, stormed the Ajiran Open-air Football Field located opposite the central mosque at the extreme of Agungi road, Lekki, Lagos state. The community is located a distance across Gbara Community where an earlier edition of Open Book was organized nine (9) months ago. Fortunately, it was a very sunny day and the CRCi team was welcomed with the presence of over three hundred and fifty (350) children, some of their parents and guardians, as well as representatives from the school and community leadership team.
With over a dozen volunteers and speakers, the CRCi team was set to deliver on her mission to the community, which entailed storytelling, and delivery of motivational and inspirational speeches from various professional speakers geared at cranking the passion for reading amongst the children. Community leaders were also given the opportunity to engage the targeted audience to drive home the point in ways the children are familiar with. Other notable activities for the day were book reading, breakout sessions, spelling-bee and reading competitions, dance, parents engagement sessions, and other fun activities.
The event culminated in CRCi donating quality print storybooks, branded notebooks, stationery, and refreshments to over 350 children within the age range of 3-13 years. Overall, it was an exciting, rewarding, and unforgettable experience for the children, their parents, the community in general, and the CRCi team (volunteers and sponsors/trustees). This campaign and other CRCi initiatives became a reality and success through the support received from individual partners with volunteers, hence we urge you to consider partnering with us to reach out to underserved children.
Please use the contact form, and we will revert back as soon as possible to provide you with more details.
Pictures below capture some of the high points of the “Open Book” event at Ajiran community.
Children Reading for a Change initiative - CRCi 