Blessing’s mother recently said, “I have had no regrets having her as my child; even though she was born into not so pleasant times, she is still an ever-bubbly child, and I pray God always [puts] joy and laughter in her heart.” Blessing is definitely a blessing to our family and me.

Blessing loves her family and enjoys living with her parents and three siblings, David, Joy and Purity. Her mother is a dealer who sells baby and maternity items at a well-known market in Benin City, and her father is an intracity driver. As a little child, she would always follow her mother around. Now that she is older and a senior student at the After School Academy, she looks up to her mother as a role model because she is a hard worker, beautiful, and supports the family. Blessing prays for great success in life so she can treat her mother to a special outing.

Andrew Lovedale, the Founder of Access to Success, grew up in the same neighborhood where Blessing currently resides. It is inspiring and empowering to see that the Iyobosa Community can produce something so positive and helpful to the community and Nigeria. The Andrew Lovedale story shows that not all superheroes are cape-wearing. Blessing reports that many kids from her neighborhood attend the After School Academy, and more have joined since the Youth Center opened. She appreciates how welcoming and serene the Youth Center is, how well-functioning everything is, and how attending the academy every day is one of her favorite parts of the day. She dreams of the day when she can contribute significantly to her community, such as repairing the road that erosion and frequent flooding have rendered unsafe. She would also like to work on a community-wide central water system to ensure that residents don’t have to go far to access clean water. We ask God to give Blessing the courage to carry out all the wonderful deeds she has planned.

This young scholar strives to be the best in her class and is one of the top 5 kids overall. Due to her proficiency in the sciences, she has since chosen to become a surgeon. Her favorite subject is math, but she has some difficulty with biology. She feels that practice makes perfect; therefore, she will devote more time to studying biology this term. She attends a public school, where she often finds it difficult to ask questions in class. However, at the After School Academy, she can ask many questions, obtain appropriate answers, and read more books on the topic from the Youth Centre library. Mr. Paul, her mathematics teacher, is her favorite.

The reason Blessing wants to be a surgeon doctor is so she may assist the sick and brighten their days. She hopes to be an Access to Success Scholar in the future and achieve her academic goal of becoming a professor. Still, she knows this desire heavily depends on her diligence in the classroom and God’s provision for her family. Blessing enjoys making tasty fries and stew for her siblings when she is not reading books. Her best friend Imuentinya also attends the After School Academy. There they share a seat, participate in the music club, and value the voice lessons they receive from Aunty Comfort, the A2S music coordinator. Blessing is a Christian who appreciates the wisdom found in the Bible, particularly in the book of Psalms. She enjoys reciting Psalms Chapter 121 because it reassures her that God is always with her. If you just give your worries to God, she claims that God may also be present in your life.

Your monthly giving and prayers through FaithFuel help Blessing and so many others like her accomplish their dreams at Access to Success. Thank you!