In Filiya Village in Shongom LGA, Gombe State of Nigeria, David Gambo, Emmanuel Simon, and their advisor, Reuben Danjuma are making change in their community by providing desks to the community school. Recipients of On Earth Peace’s Community Engagement Grant, David and Emmanuel’s project titled Teens for Positive Change is reshaping the community’s school to provide a more conducive environment for learning. “The goal of Teens for Positive Change is to advocate for school supplies, as the lack of desks in classrooms impact students’ physical and mental ability,” Emmanuel explained.

(From left to right) David, Emmanuel, and advisor, Reuben Danjuma work with communities and local governments in Nigeria to provide much-needed school resources.

The school, a community project from 1981, did not have seats for students, so they would attend lessons while standing. “It’s not effective,” Danjuma stated. Thus, the Teens for Positive Change has taken action, working with the school to initiate positive change in the academic setting. Currently, they aim to gather 240 desks to accommodate students, but they have no intention to stop there. Teens for Positive Change seeks to continue their project until all the necessary classroom equipment is made available, including a science laboratory. “We went to the school and met with the head of the school and some of the teachers. We let them know this is our project,” Danjuma explained. “Our goal is to raise funds for this need, the provision of school equipment, particularly desks.”

The Community Engagement Grant played a significant role in supporting this project. “The grant helps with mobilization,” David stated. The grant allowed David, Emmanual, and Danjuma to travel to the community they are helping. “It’s helped us to journey and capture our journey,” Danjuma shared.

Beyond the monetary assistance, the Community Engagement Grant also taught the group about Kingian Nonviolence. “I learned a lot from OEP. I learned how to peek into others’ problems and find solutions with the six principles and six steps of Kingian Nonviolence,” Emmanuel stated. David also described how the topic of positive and negative peace impacted his perspective. He explained, “this project taught me that living in peace is very good because violence causes destruction of life. It taught me patience and to live in peace.” Danjuma’s experience with OEP has also been productive, stating “my engagement with OEP has helped me to see and assess things that are personal to me. Seeing people live up to their own potential, that’s my goal. Especially, the children in schools.”

With their initiative and positivity, Teens for Positive Change in Nigeria is helping their schools grow. “We have a goal in this project, and we need the support of OEP. We pray that God will help us accomplish this,” David shared. Their successes so far and eagerness to grow serve as an inspiring feat to their local communities and communities beyond, creating conducive atmospheres for students’ learning one desk at a time.

Learn more about our Community Engagement Grants here. Also, with your donation and support, we can continue to offer these learning opportunities and financial support for youth seeking to bring positive peace to communities around the globe.