Man who gave up being doctor, banker builds virtual class for 948 kids

– Otto Orondaam announced the launch of a virtual learning classroom that would help kids during the present coronavirus period

– The initiative will be able to help 948 kids learn from home, an idea that will go a long way in helping them access education

– Otto said that his organisation, Slum2School, will not be resting on its oars as they plan to build capacity for 10,000 kids

A 32-year-old social entrepreneur who is the founder of Slum2School has proffered a big solution to the problem of learning amid COVID-19 pandemic which has forced children out of school.

The Nigerian entrepreneur identified as Orondaam Otto announced his organisation had made it possible for 948 children to learn remotely with their first Virtual Learning Classroom in Africa.

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Man who gave up being doctor, banker builds virtual class for 948 kids in Africa
Source: Instagram

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Making the announcement on his Instagram handle on Monday, July 13, the social entrepreneur said his aim was to reach 10,000 kids during the global crisis.

“Slum2School Africa is a volunteer-driven social development organization,” read part of the caption under photos of the new project he had shared.

” It harnesses resources towards bridging the enrollment gap into schools between vulnerable children and other children, through the provision of educational scholarships and other psycho-social support,” he added.

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Speaking to Forbes Africa in 2018, Orondaam said he founded his organization through his passion for education especially for vulnerable and underprivileged children in 2012.

However, the idea to develop virtual learning came in May 2020, when he saw thousands of kids from the informal sector were not learning and many were engaged in various illegal activities.

“We took a very audacious decision to attempt to build the first Virtual Learning Classroom in Nigeria and get digital tablets and laptops to thousands of our kids to aid virtual learning,”

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The organisation looked through every possible challenge that would have limited them from learning like access to power, and it provided a charging kiosk and power banks.

“For access to the internet, we got telecoms partners, the safety of devices, we installed MDM and trackers,” he said.

“We spent months mitigating all the risks to ensure that even children from low-income communities are not left out at this time,” he added.

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Since starting Slum2School Africa, the organization has won over 15 national awards and gained around 5,000 volunteers.

For Otto, that vision has been years in the making – and a journey that has been an emotional rollercoaster. He quit a well-paid banking job to pursue his passion, without pay.

“I realized there were a lot of issues affecting us. I did not feel comfortable seeing and complaining about those realities without doing anything about it,” he said.

But first, Otto had to chart his own path.

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After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in human anatomy from the University of Port Harcourt, he completed an executive master’s in project management from CUPE, UK.

He also obtained a certificate in social change, innovation and social entrepreneurship from the United Nations-mandated University for Peace, in Costa Rica.

But, it was while working at a leading financial institution that Otto stumbled on his love for social entrepreneurship.

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