Most children in the slums of Ilaje Bariga in Lagos, Nigeria, are not going to schools due to the inadequate number of available schools, inability to pay schooling fees and low parental involvement. The families live practically from “hand to mouth”. Originally Ilaje was a fisher village living from fish caught in the Lagos Lagoon, which became Africa’s most polluted ecosystem (WHO /UN data). Today fish has to be largely imported. Continuous economic struggle together with further population growth are building a fertile ground for violence and crime, e.g. stealing and robbery. Despite this desperate situation many Ilaje Bariga habitants value their community and have no ambition to leave the place. For them the best way to a better live is improved infrastructure and job opportunities for which education and formation is key.
HopeVision is the school project by, Hope for HIV/AIDS international, a registered NGO reaching out to vulnerable children in the slums of Lagos providing basic education free of charge, financed to a large degree through private donations. First schooling activities started in 2007 in an initial smaller wooden school building. In 2013 construction of the current building started and up to 240 children were attending the school. From 2015 funding dwindled due to economic recession and political instability and the number of children enrolled dropped to currently 30, taken care of by one single teacher.
The site of HopeVision School is located at 24/26, Odelana Street, off Alhaji Alimi Street, which is one of the poorest settlements in Ilaje Bariga, Nigeria. The property has a size of 7,500 sq. ft (700 m²) measuring 100 ft by 75ft (1.5plots of land). The existing buildings are in poor condition.
The Renovation Plan aims to upgrade and expand the existing buildings and infrastructure. This includes the refurbishment and adaption of the existing buildings and raising the current floor levels in order to prevent flooding during the rainy season.
