OPEN DOOR ACADEMY
Our Programs
A Holistic Approach to Growth
Nurturing Future Leaders Through Education
The Shango Open Door Academy serves the most vulnerable children in the region’s dedicated farming families and other impoverished households. Currently we are serving 30 children and hope to grow the number as our resources and facility expand. We recognized that the school’s schedule needed to align with the rhythms of their daily life: our school programs initially ended at 1:00pm, leaving children without supervision precisely when parents were busiest in the fields, often working until 4:00pm.
To provide direct support to these hardworking families, the Academy enacted a crucial change, expanding the school day from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm. This operational shift ensures children are safely supervised and continuously engaged in quality learning during the critical afternoon hours.
Within those extended hours, our dedicated teachers provide a vibrant, well-rounded learning environment. For many of our students, who enter the Academy unable to read or write, we focus heavily on foundational literacy and numeracy skills that will unlock a world of opportunity.
But, growth is more than just books! We passionately engage the children in immersive activities like singing, dancing, and art, fostering creativity and confidence alongside their academic growth.
Essential Nutrition
No Child Can Learn
While They're Hungry
The Shango region is blessed with rich soil, where farming families dedicate their lives to the harvest.
Yet, climate change and reliance on subsistence agriculture mean that many parents earn less than $1 a day.
As a result, our young students frequently arrive facing malnutrition and serious health concerns, making sustained learning impossible.
Feeding them is not an amenity; it is an essential act of well-being. We provide two daily, high-quality meals, and evening snacks of fruits/egg ensuring stability and consistency in their diets:
Breakfast: A vitamin and mineral-rich start to the day, often consisting of porridge and bread.
Lunch: A nutritious meal utilizing balanced ingredients, vegetables, potatoes,rice, bananas, and local produce
Our dedicated local cook lovingly prepares these meals, forging a direct link between the farmer's labor and the child's plate.
By providing this essential nutrition, we are actively strengthening the children's immunity and giving them the consistent energy they need to seize every opportunity in the classroom.
Expanding Our Reach: The Family Stability Goal
Our current operational success, though transformative for our students during the school week, represents just the beginning. The mission of building a lasting foundation demands that our support extends beyond the classroom hours.
We are actively working toward the critical next step: establishing the Weekend Family Feeding Program.
This is an urgent need, as families—many with up to five children—continue to face severe food insecurity when school is closed.
By extending our care to the entire household, we can ensure that every member of the Shango farming community has the stability and sustenance required to thrive.