The most inspiring stories usually have one defining trait: a character winning against all odds. The story we highlight today is different. It’s not just one character winning, but an entire family doing their very best despite their situation to transform their lives with a little help and support. 

Meet The Akinlades

The Akinlades are a family of six with four kids. Daniel Akinlade is the youngest. Mr Akinlade is a commercial motorcyclist, and his wife is currently unemployed. Mrs. Akinlade used to have a small shop but had to close it down due to a lack of funds. With Mr. Akinlade’s modest earnings from his occupation, the family got by. The family income was not ideal, but it sufficed.

If the Akinlades story sounds familiar it is because they are a microcosm of how a typical low-income Nigerian family looks. It is a sad reality to confront in many ways but the gap indicates the wealth inequality in countries like Nigeria. According to the 2022 Gini Coefficient, which is a statistical measure of economic inequality in a population, Nigeria ranks 11th on wealth inequality across West Africa. As the years pass and the country faces continued economic constraints, the wealth inequality gap is bound to keep widening. 

Tragedy Strikes 

The Akinlades are a happy family despite their financial situation. During an interview with The Special Foundation as part of our Tales of Hope segment, Mrs Akinlade remarks on her youngest. “Daniel happens to be a child I love to pet and pamper because he loves it,” she said. Despite that, she adds, “he loves going to school too.” So, much so that according to his elder brother, Daniel would wake up early to leave for school just to be first to get to class. 

But then, on a faithful Sunday, while on their way to church, tragedy struck. Mr and Mrs Akinlade had an accident, and although they both survived, they were badly injured. Mr Akinlade, unable to afford proper clinical care opted for a home visit from a pharmacist. The accident rendered him unable to keep providing for his family. Daniel and his sibling had to stop going to school for eight months. Daniel was devastated. 

Being One Misfortune Away 

Stories like the Akinlades’ are replete in low-income communities where there is usually a sole breadwinner. Often, families are one misfortune away from extreme poverty when a breadwinner falls sick or loses their life. In such instances, their dependents like their children suffer the brunt of it as they usually have to stop their education and find ways to support their families. 

A UNESCO Global Education Monitoring report estimates approximately 20 million out-of-school children in Nigeria. This number is on the rise due to the harsh economic situation in the country. Children from families like the Akinlades often find themselves becoming part of the statistic when one of their parents cannot support their education due to one misfortune or another. 

Finding One Miracle Away 

In such a dire situation, the value of foundations like ours in providing educational support comes to the fore. As inspiring stories go, it often starts with reaching out to one person, who then reaches out to another and soon a butterfly effect takes form; a lasting change is effected that transforms the future of a child like Daniel. 

Bridge Academy, one of our partner schools, was contacted to refer out-of-school pupils. They referred Daniel Akinlade, who had been out of school for over eight months. He was accepted as one of the Special Foundation’s Inspire Scholarship beneficiaries. As expected his parents were delighted. A situation that had felt so dire due to one misfortune on a Sunday afternoon had been transformed into a miracle through social responsibility. 

The Continued Resolve of the Akinlades 

While Daniel may be the one with the scholarship, the rest of the Akinlades continue to push themselves toward positivity despite their situation. Daniel’s father, Mr. Akinlade is better and stronger after his accident and was able to secure another okada (motorbike) to continue supporting his family. 

With support from the Special Foundation’s scholarship, Daniel returned to school and didn’t lose a step. He came first place in his first term back. All his teachers continually comment on his dedication and character. He is said to never joke with study time in class. Daniel wants to be a pilot and his favourite subjects are Maths, English and Quantitative. His parents are aligned in the sort of future they envisioned for all their kids and education is forefront in it. 

Summary 

The most inspiring stories usually end one way: the main protagonist achieves all his/her dreams and we celebrate them. This one —the story of the Akinlades— is slightly different. For one thing, their story has only just begun. Daniel is six-years-old going on seven and has a lot of amazing things ahead of him. His elder brother, Victor Akinlade, scored an impressive 335 in his JAMB exams. 

Despite the misfortune of that Sunday afternoon, the Akinlades are still going strong. With our support and those of our partners, ambassadors and volunteers, we have the unique opportunity to be the practical miracle that can help transform the lives of children like Daniel Akinlade. So, support our cause by donating or getting involved as a partner or volunteer today!

Remember:

Every child deserves an education, every child has a right to dream.