My primary one pupils are all incredibly special and I am extremely proud of them and their progress throughout the last term. The pupil I will share my success story on is Aisha Abba. When she got admitted into the Transitional Learning Centre, she did not understand English Language, had low self-esteem in the classroom, and found it hard blending in with peers. On noticing all this, I made sure to involve her in class activities and ask her questions. Whenever she got the answers right, I praised and encouraged her efforts, and also encouraged her to always be confident to speak English in the class. This helped to boost her confidence, enabling her to become more positive, outspoken, and an enthusiastic learner. She now represents her class in inter-class quiz competitions. Today I can categorically say Aisha is one of the top of her class.

My Psychosocial support sessions with the children are always remarkably interesting, fun, and interactive. I take topics related to the mental health of the children and I make sure they are in the right capacity to gain knowledge without any distractions. I have come to understand these sessions are having a great positive impact on the children. From my observations, I realized that the children do not just learn and put into practice what I teach them, but they also go home and discuss it with their peers and family. I am extremely proud of them and their development in both their academics and behavior.

In basic two, the pupil with an outstanding transformation is Onyinyechukwu. At seven years old, she struggled, having had a poor academic foundation, with reading and writing. With the aid of constant spellings and drills, she now reads fluently on any age-appropriate materials and is always ready to guide her classmates.

Maple Leaf Early Years Foundation has indeed touched so many lives and homes. The Centre has recorded so many success stories but the most profound one dear to us is the rapid progress of the children’s academic progress. We picked so many children from very low-income/status homes who could not afford a meal per day let alone be able to pay for the fees of their children. We met children of school age who had never been to school, while some had dropped out for almost 3 - 4 years. We were excited for them to come to school and learn. Most of them could not even hold a pencil but today, they are able to write and read words they never knew how to read. Their self- esteem has been boosted as they can communicate freely with their peers in English Language compared to when they began. They look brighter and stronger because they are at least sure of a meal served on each school day. Thank you, Maple Leaf Early Years Foundation, for this amazing service to humanity.

When Aminu was admitted into the Transitional Learning Centre, he was a strong-willed and opinionated child who wanted everything his own way. He would always avoid being corrected for inappropriate behaviour, even resorting to missing school for days. We spoke with his mother concerning this and discovered that she had seemingly was also quite frustrated with Aminu’s behaviour and hoped we would be able to help with his excesses. She felt helpless and hopeless, wishing the time he spent in school would never end. We started our success story journey by showing him love and encouragement, celebrating his successes, no matter how seemingly small. He was nominated leader of the boys in his class. This leadership position pushed him to be his best because he was told that a leader is expected to be an example to his followers. He has now positively improved in all areas.

There is a quote by Robert John Meehan that says "Every child has a different learning style and pace. Each child is unique, not only capable of learning but also capable of succeeding". Hussaina is a twin and the youngest of five children. Being noticeably quiet and introverted, she hardly responded to questions when asked. She avoided any activity that would require her to engage or interact with anyone in the class. Sometimes, her mother has to force her to come to school but not without her throwing a tantrum. During class, Hussaina would stare at the door or the floor. I tried my best as a teacher to make her more comfortable so that she would loosen up and be free with the children. Then I discovered that she enjoys learning that involves activities such as body gestures and touch. To support her, I picked out rhymes with actions and made sure to incorporate gestures and actions during lessons. I also made it a point to give her a warm welcome and engage her in small chats whenever she comes to school. Right now, Hussaina can recite some letters of the alphabet and also a number of nursery rhymes, most especially the ones with actions. She loves the Mavis Talking Pen and role play story telling sessions. During the children's break time, I could not help but notice Hussaina playing with some of her classmates. It gladdens my heart to see now much she has improved.

My success story is about Maimuna. Her parents were internally displaced which resulted to them becoming IDPs. Right from when she was admitted, Maimuna used to isolate herself from peer group, did not like group activities and would not attempt answering any questions. I observed her struggles with low self-esteem, and her difficulty in adapting to unfamiliar environment. I began to work on the identified areas, and her challenges were revealed, discussed, and solved. Maimuna now engages in group activities, motivates other students in the class, and is now a role model now in the Centre.