Book Hangout

We know that there can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children. We choose to show that we believe in them and trust that they can be nurtured to become change-makers; contributing to the development of Nigeria, Africa, and the world at large.

This is what informed the Book Hangout, May 2021, Children’s Day Edition, which was done in collaboration with Lavie Readers Club (The Convener) and Reconcilers Academy. Children aged 4 to 19 were the target. The purpose of this hangout was to give them a memorable and impactful experience.

Children were motivated to read, read and read because through this; they get their minds sharpened, know more about people, places, things, and the world, as well as become more creative.

In the spirit of celebration, the children were grouped based on their age bracket, 4 – 6, 7- 9, and 10 – 19. The younger kids had Fun Reading time, Spelling Bee, Burst the Balloon game, and Art Fun Time. The next activity was puppetry. Mrs. Amanda of Reconcilers Academy, disguised as Brownie the puppet. She came in and lightened up the room. The expression on the children’s faces were that of curiosity and anticipation. They wanted to see and hear what Brownie had to say. They reeled in laughter and most importantly learned the importance of reading.  Brownie promised them a book each. All the children went home with a storybook!

Gem Hub Initiative took the older kids (Teenagers) to a very cool spot for the hangout. The icebreaker session was lit! They were told to introduce themselves and say their nicknames. The session was filled with laughter as these young people gave some very funny names. They all still remember each other’s nicknames!

After the icebreaker, they were introduced to the Tree of Life to enhance self-awareness by opening their eyes to see their potentials, factors contributing to who they have and can become, as well as their ingenuity and aspirations. The children did not want to go home! It was eye-opening for them.

The meeting reached a climax when Uncle Nazih of Gem Hub Initiative called out who could play Chess. Apparently, only 30 percent of them could. They were given the chessboard to play while Uncle Nazih the instructor/trainer taught the others the principles of the game. The children were grateful for this knowledge that will promote critical thinking, strategy formulation, accurate planning, and problem-solving skills.

Here are pictures from the day. A big shout out to  Mrs. Sandra Onojetah of Lavie Readers Club!

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