Tunde Onakoya Offers Scholarship to 11-Year-Old Girl Sweeping with Mother in Lagos
A touching act of kindness has emerged after a viral video showed a mother and her young daughter sweeping the streets of Ikoyi. While some criticized the mother for child labor, renowned Nigerian chess master Tunde Onakoya responded with compassion offering to sponsor the girl’s education through university.
Onakoya, founder of Chess-In-Slums, condemned the public shaming of the mother, recalling his childhood struggles. “Extremely cruel to humiliate a mother in front of her daughter like this. Even worse this was recorded and posted on social media.”
He shared how his mother once did menial jobs to survive, and how he wished he could have done more for her at the time. “Yes, that child should not be working. But more than outrage, what she and her mother deserve is compassion. The only humane response is to help.”
In a powerful gesture, Onakoya stepped in to ease their burden by fully funding the young girl’s education. His response serves as a reminder of the impact of kindness over criticism in times of struggle.
