Small places, limited resources, poverty, impossibilities are the antagonistics of many people’s story, often leading many people to choose life’s worst choices and lifestlye but rarely would anyone be prepared for the story of Nigerian chess-life coach who ends his own lifelong dream to ignite the possibilities of both national amd international children living in hard-to-reach regions in the continents – the diamonds in the rough.
Tunde Onakoya is a Nigerian chess master, pushing the narrative of finding, nuturing and believing that every child is a superstar by teaching life through the game of chess, a project that started in the suburb area of Ikorodu, Lagos, Nigeria. A cerebal palsy child would ignite one of his best decisions in life.
Opening his chess center to Ferdinand Maumo in Makoko propelled Tunde to meeting with the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde SanwoOlu, after Ferdinand, 10, won a chess competition after being tutored in the game by the chessmaster. Ferdinand had been bullied for his looks and often a laughing stock in the same community.
Tunde would later train over 300 kids in chess, rescue more kids from the wild lifestlye of living under the bridges, wander aimless and influence other kids from becoming menance to the soicety. His Chess-in-Slums initiative has reached kids both in Nigeria and outside the country with some of them on scholarship and covered insurance health care packages.
Tunde is no stranger to facing challenges of gigantic proportions as he defeated 10 chess players contemporaneously while on an engagement in Germany. The Nigerian chess expert played about two-hour grilling match against opponents that included Ph.D holders and notable speakers.
Tunde Onakoya continues to believe and act upon the school of thought that anybody can do great things from small places. The world is catching on as the Nigerian makes sure no child is left disadvantaged.
