Country of Residence
Nigeria
Age
18
Project title
Nourish and Learn
Project Summary: Describe your project in one sentence
Nourish and Learn is an initiative by The Graced Ones Foundation combining food support, educational resources and mentorship for vulnerable children in Nigeria. Building on outreach that has already touched over 200 children, we are scaling into 15 additional school districts to keep children nourished, learning and growing in character and purpose.
Website URL(s) or social media handles.
@gracedones_foundation3118 https://www.instagram.com/gracedones_foundation3118?utm_source=qr&igsh=MWNyYTl0dm1vaXZ4Yg==
Project Category
My project is an existing project that I started
Project Stage
Growth (We’ve moved past the very first activities and are beginning to have consistent weekly or monthly impact)
Founding Story: What was the spark that led you to start your project? What was the "Aha!" moment that led you to get started and see the potential for this to succeed?
It all started on my way to a class in school. I saw a father walking with his child, who was wearing a visibly torn school uniform. It was obvious that the father was doing his best, and perhaps they had no other option. The child still had to go to school, so he wore what he had. As they walked, some people around laughed at him. That moment stayed with me. I began to think about how many children genuinely want to be in school, learn and build a better future, but lack some of the basic things they need to do so with dignity. A torn uniform should not make a child feel ashamed for wanting an education. Lack of food or learning materials should not kill a child's enthusiasm to learn. That experience sparked a desire in me to do something practical rather than simply observe. This became the heart behind Graced Ones Foundation, a foundation committed to raising a God fearing, purpose driven generation by combining Bible based mentorship with practical welfare and educational support. Through outreaches in communities including Agbede and Labuta in Abeokuta, we have already immpacted over 200 children through academic materials, food support and holistic care. Nourish & Learn is the next phase of this vision. It is our effort to formalize and scale our food and education support so we can reach 15 additional school districts and give more children support.
The Problem: What problem are you helping to solve? Why does it matter to you and your community?
In communities across Nigeria, including Agbede and Labuta in Abeokuta, many children grow up without some of the basic things they need to thrive, such as adequate food, learning materials, proper uniforms and a clean environment. Through our outreaches, I have seen this firsthand. Some children come to school hungry and struggle to concentrate. Some have torn uniforms or lack books and other basic school supplies. Some families simply cannot afford these things, even when they are doing their best to keep their children in school. I also noticed that poor waste disposal and inadequate sanitation can make the environment unhealthy for children and increase the risk of infections and preventable illnesses. These things may seem small, but for a child, they can affect how they see themselves, how they learn and even their desire to keep going. This problem matters to me because I believe every child deserves to be seen, valued and given a fair chance. A child should not feel ashamed because of a torn uniform or lack of basic learning materials. A father is trying his best to send his child to school, and that child also wants to learn. That should not be a barrier to getting a quality education. Having already reached over 200 children through our outreaches, we keep seeing the same needs repeated in different communities. We want to reach more children
Your Solution: How are you solving this problem? Share your specific solution.
Nourish and Learn combines food support, educational resources and mentorship into one connected initiative under The Graced Ones Foundation, because we believe feeding a child, teaching them and nurturing their character should not be treated as separate problems. Our team identifies vulnerable children through community mapping and school partnerships, starting in areas like Agbede and Labuta, Abeokuta. We distribute food packages and educational materials, including books, uniforms and school supplies, matched to each child's grade level, and where possible support tuition fees for students needing financial assistance. Alongside material support, we run mentorship and youth fellowship sessions, one on one guidance, Bible study clubs and character workshops, that nurture confidence, leadership and moral growth. We also teach students about personal hygiene, proper waste disposal, environmental cleanliness and sanitation. Through practical lessons and demonstrations, we encourage students to take responsibility for keeping their classrooms and surroundings clean and help them understand how poor sanitation and waste disposal can contribute to infections and disease. We document every outreach carefully, including financial records and impact stories, to stay transparent with partners and donors. We invite partners to support us through program sponsorship, covering an outreach session, educational kits or a welfare drive, or through resource and volunteer support, donating stationery, food items or learning aids, or serving as mentors during outreach events. Having already reached 200+ children, our plan is to scale this model into 15 additional school districts
Impact: How has your project created impact / made a difference so far? Or, if at an early stage, what will impact look like?
Graced Ones Foundation already has real outreach experience to build on. We have been going into schools and communities, including Agbede and Labuta in Abeokuta, where we have reached over 200 children with academic materials, food support and holistic, faith rooted care. We have carried out outreaches in schools such as OLG Nursery and Primary School and Goodness Nursery and Primary School, returning at least once every three months. This has allowed us to build relationships with the students, understand their needs better and follow up on them beyond a single outreach. Through Nourish andLearn, we want to build on this work and make it more structured and sustainable. In the near term, we hope to see children stay nourished, concentrate better in class, have access to basic learning materials and grow in confidence and character. We also want them to develop better hygiene and sanitation habits and take more responsibility for keeping their school environment clean. Looking ahead, our goal for the next phase is to expand into 15 additional school districts, bringing food support, educational resources, moral guidance and practical hygiene education to many more children. Impact is not just a number. It is building a relationship with a child, It is about being there consistently, building a relationship with the students and seeing them grow.
Your Innovation: What is different about your project compared to other programs or solutions already out there? How is your project new or innovative?
Nourish and Learn is different because it brings together food support, educational resources, welfare and faith based mentorship in one connected approach. Rather than addressing hunger and education separately, we see them as connected parts of a child’s wellbeing and future. Our approach goes beyond simply distributing food or school materials. We want to provide children with food, uniforms and other educational resources, while also creating a suitable learning environment and teaching practical hygiene and sanitation. Through school and community partnerships, we identify specific needs and provide support based on the realities of each community. We also involve volunteers and partners who can contribute resources, skills and mentorship. What makes Nourish and Learn different is the combination of nourishment, education, welfare, character development and practical hygiene and environmental cleanliness education in one initiative. Having already reached over 200 children, we are building on our existing outreach experience and expanding the model to more schools and communities.
How many people are on your team?
10
Your team: What role(s) do your team members play? How do you share leadership with them?
Our 10 member team shares responsibilities across key areas. Koko Inioluwa serves as Youth Project Lead, Ajayi Omolola manages finances, Mercy, Becky and Mary support welfare, while David, Juliana, Yomi and Hezekiah handle media. Testimony Olusumibare leads sponsorship and partnerships. We work collaboratively, with each team member taking responsibility for their area while contributing to project decisions and outreach activities.
What’s Next: What are the next steps you plan to take to grow or strengthen your project over the next year? If your project is still in the idea stage, describe the steps you will take over the next three months to launch or begin developing it.
Over the next year, we plan to expand Nourish and Learn into 15 schools across different districts. We will do this by reaching out to schools and working with school administrators to identify where the need is highest. We will also use the relationships we have already built with schools like OLG Nursery and Primary School and Goodness Nursery and Primary School to connect with other schools and communities. We will start by identifying the schools, meeting with the school management, understanding the needs of the students and planning the outreaches with them. We want to visit each school regularly, not just once, so we can build a relationship with the students and follow up on their needs. As we reach these schools, we will provide nutritious food, uniforms, books and other basic learning materials. We will also introduce practical lessons on personal hygiene, sanitation and proper waste disposal, helping the children understand why keeping their environment clean is important. We will mobilize volunteers for each outreach and continue looking for sponsors, individuals and organisations who can support the project. Our goal is to grow from the work we have already started and reach more children in a consistent and sustainable way.
How do you encourage other people to join your project or learn about the problem you’re working on? If you have a new idea, tell us how you will do this in the future.
We encourage people to join Graced Ones Foundation by sharing our outreach activities, impact stories and the needs we encounter in our communities. Through social media, personal networks, community connections and direct outreach, we create awareness about the challenges vulnerable children face and invite people to become part of the solution. People can support us through donations, food, educational materials and other resources. Volunteers can also participate in outreach activities, welfare support, mentorship, media and community engagement. So far, our outreaches have helped us engage people who contributed their time, resources and support towards reaching 200+ children. As we expand Nourish & Learn, we plan to strengthen these networks and build more partnerships with schools, organizations, community leaders and volunteers. We believe people are more likely to join when they can see the difference their contribution makes, so we document our activities and share stories that show the impact of collective action.
