Dear A2S Board Members Past and Present,
There are not enough words to express our gratitude for the roles each and every one of you has played to bring us here, moments before the opening of our Youth Center. In this letter, we wanted to share some of the highlights of the decisions each one of you made that led us forward.
A2S’s founding board in 2011 had the enthusiasm to get behind what was mostly a dream at the time. You saw potential in the vision of our organization to make real lasting impact, and decisions you made carried that vision forward. The founding board saw the beginning of the After School Academy after a group of volunteers visited Nigeria for basketball camp and to conduct community research. Because of you, we now serve 240 children daily and dream to serve 300 in the next two years.
In 2013, the board made a pivotal decision to purchase land for an After School Academy. It was you all that had the foresight to understand that A2S needed a permanent home. In 2015, you ran our first capital campaign with dreams to put a building on that land. This was the beginning of our journey to creating the Youth Center, which currently stands on that land in Nigeria.
You helped us pivot in 2016 when our land rights were contested in court. You guided us to shift our focus to further develop our programs. More children were served at our academy. Scholarships were given out in Nigeria, opportunities were created for a select few to study in the United States. You were not discouraged by setbacks but encouraged by the opportunity to redirect and continue our mission with the resources we had available.
In 2017 you helped us problem solve. How do we address unemployment despite the educational achievements of our alumni? That year we piloted our first Entrepreneur Pitch Competition and Incubator. You helped us vet and judge teams of businesses, and granted funding for our winners. This development of our organization led to bigger plans for the land- despite it still being tied up in red tape.
In 2020 we pivoted again. How do we adjust in the midst of a pandemic? What does our community need now that they are in lockdown at home? You helped us plan for more food distributions and guided our staff on how to check in on our children and their families. In the midst of all of this, we won our court case and laid the foundation for a building. The dream of the A2S Youth Center became a reality when you stepped up to raise 300k as a part of our capital campaign. The Youth Center will now not only house an After School Academy, but will also have rooms and resources for our staff, entrepreneurs, scholars, and community. During a crisis you found a way to lay the foundation for our Season of Promise.
And now, after a year and a half of building and furnishing our Youth Center, the moment is finally here. Despite inflation, strikes, and a persistent pandemic; our community, led by A2S board members past and present, has come together to make this dream a reality. Our safe haven stands tall in Benin City, and in 12 short days, will be open to the community.
We can’t wait to see the fruits of your labor come to life as excited feet leap through those Youth Center doors for the first time. The excitement and joy of our children and families will say it all. Thank you for your dedication to our mission, for believing in the hopes and dreams of our children, and for leading us here. This next chapter of A2S will create more opportunities to change lives to the glory of God. This Youth Center is your legacy.
With Joy and Gratitude,
The A2S Team
