When Hope Looks Like a Pencil

My name is Eniola Oluranti, and I’m the founder of an initiative called School in Slum Africa.

For many children in slums and remote communities, education is a dream that keeps slipping away. Not because they lack intelligence or willpower, but because something as small as a pencil, a book, or a school bag stands between them and that dream.

I know this reality too well. I grew up in circumstances where I had to trade my childhood for survival, hawking goods, facing abuse, and struggling for access to education. When my grandmother, who believed in my education despite her poverty, passed away, I began a long journey of moving from one family to another.

But through all those years of hardship, one truth stayed with me: education can change everything. It became my light, my escape, and eventually, my purpose.

Today, I’m committed to ensuring that children growing up in the same kind of communities I came from never have to struggle the way I did.

The Reality We Face

In the slums and underserved areas where we work, many children attend school without basic supplies. Some write on the floor or share one exercise book for multiple subjects. Some stay home entirely when they can’t afford materials or uniforms.

With exams approaching, we are planning an Exam Relief Package to provide students with essentials like notebooks, pens, math sets, and small snacks during the exam week.

It may sound small, but to these children, it means the confidence to show up, the dignity to participate, and the motivation to keep learning. We want to reach as many children as we can, starting with those in the most affected communities.

Why I’m Sharing this, this isn’t just about materials, but it's about hope.

When a child receives a book, they receive belief.

When they receive a pencil, they receive purpose.

When they’re seen, they remember that their dreams matter.

I know this because that was once me.

And now, I want to help rewrite the stories of others, one child at a time.

If you’re reading this, you can help.

1. You can contribute financially.
2. You can connect us to partners or schools.
3. You can amplify our story by sharing it with others who care about education and equality.

Every act of support, no matter how small, brings us closer to a world where every child, no matter where they’re born, can access the power of education.

Peace, Purpose, and Possibility

To me, peace begins when every child feels safe enough to dream and has the means to chase that dream.

Education is more than a human right; it’s a peace-building tool, a voice-giving force, and a foundation for the world we want to see. If we can give one child a reason to stay in school, we are already changing the future.

With love and hope,

Eniola Oluranti