Ten years of teaching children writing
This year’s Abuja only summer writing workshop and one of Nigerian’s leading workshops for children has turned ten years and what a journey it has been. A number of children who have gone through this week long annual writing workshop for children have graduated and have no doubt separated themselves from other children with the lessons they learnt at TTW. TTW; acronym for The Treasured Writers is a cute and child friendly name for this exciting workshop for children between the ages of seven to fourteen. Let me take you on a personal journey.
In 2007, I was thinking of what can possibly be done to ensure that children benefit assiduously from their long summer vacation.
As a mother of many children, I had registered my kids over the years in different summer schools and the yields were minimal. It is either they were left to their own devices for three days of summer school or they had a field day running between swings mostly unattended or they learnt the same things every year, Adire, making, face painting and more mathematics in some instances. I found out that a lot of children did not want any more mathematics, did not want a lesson teacher and were tired of seeing the same teachers from their schools that were no different from the summer school teachers.
As a mother of many adopted children as well, I also found that kids learn best by playing. With this powerful information at my fingertips, I decided to start a summer school with a difference and inform my very close friends about it. The maiden edition of TTW was born. Our plan was and still is to give the children something that will be memorable and impactful lessons for life.
I would like to use this opportunity to thank the foundation parents Mr and Mrs Odah, five time TTW parents who also produced a TTW ambassador, Mr and Mrs Obi-Obasi, Mr and `Mrs Anaoleifo, Mrs Mariam Uwais, and a host of many parents who believed in us. Without your trust and confidence, we would never have made it through the first few years.
Our ten year journey has been wholesome and exciting. We are thankful to our resource persons, Nollywood actress; Kate Henshaw, for teaching acting in one of those years, she rolled with the children, brought out their best, created characters and gave them so much joy. Guardian newspaper veteran cartoonist Obe-ess who took the children through cartooning, Abuja’s finest comedians; Dr Ayuba and MC Amana who turned our children to comedians over night, Chicago based Architect; Kingslely Aduaka thanks to you one of our children is now an Architect in the making. Abuja’s leading mixologist; Joseph Abu, for teaching our children how to make cocktails. Dr Otivie Igbuzor; president of the African school of leadership and strategy, Dr Kunle Shettima; African regional director MCcarthur Foundation for teaching ‘’seven qualities of a good leader’’.
Children never believe books are written by human beings, they think books are written by ghosts, so we try to connect their books to the writers for the children’s benefit. A big thanks to our guest Authors, among them are Common wealth prize winner; Tricia Nwaubani, NLNG short listed writers; Chinyere Obi-Obasi,Diego Okonyedo and El-Nathan John, ANA Prize winning authors; Al-kassim Abubakar and Henry Akubuiro. My constituency, the media, print, electronic and online, everybody has been very supportive and I am truly grateful.
This year’s edition will be more exciting considering it’s in its tenth year. As always, I am the Lead Facilitator with a cast of resource persons to include the National President Association of Nigerian Authors; Denja Abdullahi who is also a Poet and Bespoke cultural ambassador. Well trained facilitators will be on hand to attend to the children this year.
This year’s theme is ‘’Adventure and Travel’’ and we intend to give the children a great time by discussing this theme robustly with beautiful, interactive and competitive sessions to include the benefits of being polite, importance of friendship, stringing along a story and the TTW ambassadorial campaign . TTW will begin this year from the 31st of July to the 5th of August 2017 at El- Amin International School, Maitama . A party for the children will close proceedings on the 5th August as we always do.
I Iook forward to receiving the children as I do always, for one week only, something I have done in the last ten years and the tears that often greet the last day when we have to part till the next year. This one week is always a school for me as it is for the children. We learn together, eat together, and look out for each other. I cant wait for Monday 31st July to receive our children for this year’s edition of The Treasured Writers.
Eugenia Abu