The Need

In the Makoko waterfront community of Lagos State, children face severe daily hurdles just to reach a classroom. Originally, Scholaride Initiative and Prince Casper Fellow Adetomiwa Awofeso set out to build a safe school canoe to bridge the water transport gap. But before construction could begin, an immediate crisis struck: government authorities pulled down the community building tied to the learners. The demolition suddenly displaced dozens of children and wiped out their physical learning space, putting them at immediate risk of falling permanently out of school.

Our Response

Rather than pausing operations while reassessing long-term plans, Scholaride Initiative launched an emergency, community-first pivot under the Prince Casper Foundation Impact Grant: the Makoko Learning Recovery Program.

• Securing Safe Ground: Within days of the disruption, the team consulted local community leaders and education networks to locate and lease an accessible temporary space to host daily classes.

• Mobilizing Teachers: Four local volunteer facilitators were engaged and compensated to run daily, structured academic lessons five days a week.

• Equipping the Classroom: Local carpenters were hired to build double-faced whiteboards and provide essential learning supplies directly inside the facility.

The Impact

By prioritizing immediate educational continuity, the recovery program transformed a moment of displacement into a space of stability, routine, and hope:

• Enrolment More Than Doubled: Attendance grew rapidly from an opening group of 30 learners to 42 by late January, reaching 69 active students by the end of February.

• Restored Routine: Displaced children regained access to consistent weekday instruction, rebuilding parental trust and peer support across the settlement.

• Resilient Infrastructure: Classroom instruction continues to scale with locally built equipment, keeping vulnerable children learning while longer-term transport and permanent school initiatives are prepared for the future.