10/08/2026
From Class Dropout to Secondary School Graduate: The Emotional Story of Raphael Anuoluwa
Raphael Anuoluwa was the most happiest as he marched alongside fellow graduating students of Brillshelter International School on Ijegun Road, Ikotun.
The joy all over him was a poignant reminder of a time when his dream of completing secondary education had completely slipped away, only to be resurrected by the Amazing Grace Children Rights Foundation (AGCRF).
Raphael’s life-changing encounter with the foundation occurred on May 27, 2022, during its annual "Be Bold" youth mentorship programme. Surrounded by hundreds of teenagers, Raphael sat quietly as the foundation’s Patron, Snr. Supt. Apostle (Engr.) Niyi Afolabi, posed a question to the hall: “Has anyone here ever scored 100 percent in any subject?”
Raphael was the only person to raise his hand.
When Engr. Afolabi followed up by asking if he had maintained that level of academic excellence, the room fell silent as Raphael answered with a quiet “No.” Asked why, the teenager revealed a heartbreaking reality: he had dropped out of school because his mother could no longer afford his tuition.
The heavy silence that swept through the hall prompted an immediate response. Moved by the boy's plight, the Chairman of the Foundation, Snr. Supt. Apostle Muyiwa Adeyemi, pledged a full scholarship on the spot and directed the CEO of the Foundation, Mrs. Grace Omoye Adeyemi, to officially enroll Raphael into their educational sponsorship scheme.
The scholarship covered far more than basic tuition. The foundation provided all required learning materials, uniforms, and books, while maintaining close, hands-on academic monitoring of Raphael and other beneficiaries.
Completing his secondary education was a dream realised. At the graduation ceremony, a deeply grateful Raphael continuously prostrated before Mrs Adeyemi, expressing heartfelt thanks to the woman who stepped in when all hope seemed lost.
A touching moment occurred during the ceremony when Mrs Adeyemi noticed that Raphael’s mother was absent. When asked why she did not attend her son's graduation ceremony, Raphael softly replied: "She said she didn't have suitable clothes to wear to an event like this."
Reflecting on the mother's reason, Mrs Adeyemi expressed regret that she had not been informed earlier, noting that she would have gladly provided an outfit for her. She used the moment to appeal to well-meaning Nigerians to extend a helping hand to children from underprivileged backgrounds.
"I know what it means to be poor, and I understand firsthand what children of indigent parents go through," Mrs Adeyemi said. "It is dangerous for our society to abandon vulnerable children to their fate. If wealthy parents give the best to their children while poor children are left behind, the privileged children may grow up to become 'sheep' while the abandoned ones become 'wolves', and both will eventually inhabit the same society. We know what wolves do to sheep."
Drawing a comparison to global best practices, she added: "I am always marveled by European countries like Finland and Switzerland, which maintain near-zero crime rates. How did they achieve it? They offer equal opportunities to all children regardless of their parents' social status. We must protect our collective future by doing whatever little we can to support humanity. We are not doing this out of surplus but for the passion we have for the youths."
The proprietor of Brillshelter International School, Mrs Omotosho praised the Amazing Grace Children Rights Foundation for its philanthropic impact on vulnerable youth.
She particularly commended Mrs Adeyemi for her active mentorship, noting that the CEO personally visited the school regularly to track the academic progress of the Foundation's scholars. The school head urged other public-spirited individuals to emulate the Foundation's kindness by supporting underprivileged children within their local communities.
