A lot has been shared about Tunde in recent days, but here are a few remarkable things about his background that have kept many in awe.
- Tunde learnt chess by watching: Tunde’s first exposure to chess occurred in a barber’s shop. With the barber’s limited time, he didn’t have the privilege to engage in the game practically and could only watch him play with others.
- Tunde was born and brought up in the slums of Ikorodu Lagos: It doesn’t look like it, right? That’s because Tunde overcame poverty. He rose above the circumstances he grew up in. He changed the script life gave him, and is on his way to rewrite the script of many African children.
- He didn’t speak English until he got into secondary school: Now, this is ridiculous given his great command of the language presently.
- He faced ridicule from his teachers: Given his poor command of English, Tunde was often referred to as an “Olodo” by his teachers. His life today is a lesson that we must never demean anyone.
- He dropped out of school after basic education and didn’t go to school for two years. It was these 2 years that set the pace for who he is today. I’m certain those 2 years must have been unpleasant to him, but look where he is. Quick lesson: Every cloud has a silver lining.
- Learnt chess as a subject in secondary school: Luck shined on Tunde when his secondary school happened to have included “Chess” in its curriculum. This gave him the opportunity to sharpen his chess skills.
- Attended College on scholarship: Tunde attended Yaba College of Technology, Yaba, Lagos, on scholarship and graduated in 2015.
- Founded Chess in Slums Africa in 2018. Chess in Slums Africa has the ultimate goal of training over 1 million children in 5 years, with chess as the focal point.
- Has impacted the lives of over 1000 children in Africa. Through Chess in Slums Africa, Tunde has changed the lives of over 1000 African Children.
- Tunde has a great analogy of the chess game: A pawn is worth one point in the chess game and is considered the least valuable piece. But when it is moved to the final rank, it undergoes a transformation and becomes unstoppable and powerful. This analogy, according to him, reveals the true essence of what he is doing to ensure that African children don’t consider the negatives the media share, but shine spotlight on their potentials and what they are becoming. Indeed, it is possible to do great things from a small place.
Congratulations, Tunde! You inspire us! I join millions of Africans around the world to celebrate you.