Giving Kids a Chance In The World’s Largest Floating Slum – Makoko

Makoko is one of those places you don’t forget—not because of what it has, but because of what it survives without. They call it the "Venice of Africa," but in reality, it's a sprawling slum built on stilts above polluted water in the heart of Lagos. No roads, no clean water, little electricity—and yet it’s buzzing with life.

I went to Makoko to visit a local orphanage and school that we had helped support had. A close friend of mine had setup this foundation [Humanity Effect] so I’d seen photos before arriving, but nothing quite prepares you for the experience of walking through it—planks of wood forming makeshift walkways, boats used as taxis, kids playing in open sewage.

And yet, in the middle of all this, I found something incredible. A school. An orphanage. It was easter so the kids had a week off but I was able to have a look around, check out the classrooms etc. It wasn’t much—just a few benches under a tin roof.

One of the volenteers told me a few stories about some of the kids, many had lost their parents, others had been abandoned, yet they still turned up every day in what they say is the best part of their day – imagine we had the same attitude at home (I should only speak for myself!).

I asked some of the children hanging around what they wanted to be; doctor, teacher, scientist. Not a footballer or influencer in sight! Similar grassroots movements like Slum2School are working to empower Nigerian children in underserved communities.

We raised a few hundred pounds for this project—not a life-changing sum in the west, but here? It bought food, books, uniforms, and repairs for the school’s structure. You don’t need to visit to donate but here you could see where the money went. You could feel it in the gratitude of the staff and the locals as they continue to build something special.