Help children learn

In 2023 we received a donation of computers from London Rangers Football Club and books from Kenley Primary School in Croydon; and have now realised our dream to transform a derelict building in the Ekpon farming community in Nigeria into a Library and Computer Training Centre. We also installed solar energy to reduce costs and provide uninterrupted power to deliver high quality training.

The centre launch was on 27 May 2024, Children's Day, and attended by children and head teachers from 12 schools as well as chiefs and other dignitaries from the small rural community.

No donation is too small as every pound helps to empower a child. How you can help:

The Raphael Akowe Foundation has been largely self funded and we are asking for your help which is crucial to continue the work we are doing to support this community through the various initiatives highlighted on this page.

IT skills are vital and no longer optional and it costs £30 to provide a child with basic computer skills and resources for continuous learning.

Please donate here.

Donations of old laptops and mobile phones are welcome too. You can contact us on [email protected]

We are delighted to share the event held  on 16 Sept 2023 attended by 550 children from 14 primary and secondary schools in the Ekpon and Ewossa communities. Each school received 45 jumpers, 35 sets of football kit and 5 bicycles.

Despite it being a rainy day the kids had fun, enjoying refreshments as they sang and performed local dances.

There are more photos, videos and information on the following Facebook pages:

Raphael Akowe Foundation and Julian Chenery Wear A Sports Shirt Day

Below: Students enjoying their new bicycles and learning to ride!

Students dancing and waiting their turn to show off their skills

Bicycles and goods ready for distribution to the schools

Elders in the community joined the event to pray for the children

What we do and why we do it:

One in every five out-of-school children in the world lives in Nigeria and a key contributor to non attendance in rural areas is poverty.

We are collaborating with the Raphael Akowe Foundation, teachers and individuals in the community to identify how we can support the children, the schools and the community. 

We continue to provide books, writing materials and school uniforms to remove barriers to attending school. Uniforms are made locally and provide work for small businesses.

Project: Bicycles

We have sent 120 bicycles that were donated to be repaired in Ekpon thereby providing work in the community. These were given to children who did not attend school regularly because of the distance and long walk to school as well as to children who came first in their class.

Work was also provided to local workers who repaired the bicycles and is helping the children maintain them.

Project: Play

We are providing a safe place for children to play by maintaining the elephant grass around the schools as it grows up to 3 meters tall and is a habitat for snakes. 

Play nourishes a child’s body, mind, and soul. During the magic of play, children connect with their peers and develop their mental and social skills, they take risks, make sense of the world, and regulate their emotions. Play is the only time that children are in control of their lives. They get to create, imagine, and experience joy.  

We are promoting amateur sport and will be developing sports fields and playgrounds at the schools. The foundation has sponsored an annual marathon since 2019 that attracts between 30-40 participants where 16-25 years olds compete for the top prizes. Members of the community celebrate afterwards with the runners at the Ekpon community square with refreshments provided by the foundation.

Julian Chenery from Wear A Sports Shirt Day is incredibly supportive of our projects by donating football kit and school uniforms.

Pipeline Projects:

Nurture Nature

• We have planted and are caring for 600 palm fruit, mango, coconut, orange and avocado trees to provide shade and fruit
• Developing vegetable gardens that add to the environment, educate children and produce food for lunchtime school meals

Community Hub
Providing a facility where:

• Schools borrow books to create their own libraries
• Parents and children read or play with educational toys 
• Individuals are taught IT literacy
• Families and the elderly socialise or watch a film

Thank you for helping to provide items and experiences that we often take for granted to this community.

Raphael Akowe, Rachel Elston & Ronel Crooks

Contact: [email protected]