It is possible to do great things from a small place. The story of Ferdinand Maumo, a differently-abled child with Cerebral Palsy (CP), is inspiring for every parent because it teaches the need to see beyond disability. Ferdinand doesn’t speak  English and has never been to school before; his father is a poor fisherman, and his mother is a petty trader. They live in the slums of Makoko in Lagos State, popularly called the “Venice of Africa” because the entire community is built above water.  His parents barely make enough money to feed him daily, hence why Ferdinand and his three siblings do not go to school. He was taken to the training centre where he was introduced to the game of Chess. 

After two intense weeks of chess lessons in the slums of Makoko,  a tournament was held to test their understanding of the game and celebrate their excellence; Ferdinand won the junior section of a local tournament on the full score. His new mates learned to respect him on the board and cherish him as a friend. They carried the trophy on a boat to his stilt house, and his parents were overwhelmed with joy.

The ten-year-old chess prodigy Ferdinand was invited to the Lagos statehouse to compete against Governor Sanwo Olu. The game was deeply strategic, lasted for more than 30 minutes, and ended in a stalemate(Draw). It was a keenly contested duel, and the governor was no pushover. For a boy who only learned Chess in all its complexities for just two weeks, his genius shined through the entire game, and the governor was very impressed by his performance.

The governor gave him a million naira cash and placed him and his siblings on lifelong scholarship support until their university education. 

Ferdinand’s gift of Chess made way for him. His life will no doubt never be the same again, and I know that someday in the future, he’ll be in a position to pay it forward for other children like him. With tremendous burdens often come enormous gifts. Ferdinand has found his gift through Chess, and there’s no limit to what he can attain with this. 

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