Ubuntu-The Stories Matter: MARY ZIRA

“Mary has declared that she’s the first person from her village to meet Davido in person, and everyone else has only just seen him on TV. It’s been 3 days now and we still haven’t heard the last of it” - Tunde_OD Michika Local Government, Adamawa is a long way from the United Nations Headquarters, New York, and Mary Victor Zira is one of the few to have made that journey, and she is very proud of how far she has come. Mary Victor Zira is a 12-year-old chess champion born in Adamawa, in the North-Eastern part of Nigeria. Shortly after Mary was born, her village was attacked by Boko Haram terrorists. As a result of this attack, Mary and her family became a part of the 1.8 million internally displaced persons living in Nigeria. The confines of an IDP camp in Adamawa is all Mary has ever known, and before she found the gift of chess, Mary’s childhood was defined by the struggles of life in an IDP camp where she and her siblings assisted their parents on their small farm and continued to hope for a better life outside of the Malkohi IDP Camp. Luck would shine on Mary when Vivian Ibrahim, the convener of Chess in IDP Camps initiative, brought the game of chess to the IDP camp, and Mary was encouraged by her mother to ditch going to the farm during that period and participate in the training and tournament. Mary’s performance during this tournament was …

Michika Local Government, Adamawa is a long way from the United Nations Headquarters, New York, and Mary Victor Zira is one of the few to have made that journey, and she is very proud of how far she has come.

Mary Victor Zira is a 12-year-old chess champion born in Adamawa, in the North-Eastern part of Nigeria. Shortly after Mary was born, her village was attacked by Boko Haram terrorists. As a result of this attack, Mary and her family became a part of the 1.8 million internally displaced persons living in Nigeria.

The confines of an IDP camp in Adamawa is all Mary has ever known, and before she found the gift of chess, Mary’s childhood was defined by the struggles of life in an IDP camp where she and her siblings assisted their parents on their small farm and continued to hope for a better life outside of the Malkohi IDP Camp.

Luck would shine on Mary when Vivian Ibrahim, the convener of Chess in IDP Camps initiative, brought the game of chess to the IDP camp, and Mary was encouraged by her mother to ditch going to the farm during that period and participate in the training and tournament.

Mary’s performance during this tournament was witnessed by Tunde Onakoya, the founder of Chess in Slums Africa, who shared her story on social media. In the video Tunde shared, Mary shared that her biggest dream was for her parents to be able to continue to pay her fees so she could get a quality education. The video went viral, earning Mary a scholarship at a prestigious school and fulfilling Mary’s dreams of getting a quality education. This was only the beginning.

Less than six months later, Mary is in the US competing with highly ranked chess players, winning prizes, casually chilling with global superstars (like Davido), and meeting with the deputy secretary-general of the UN, all thanks to the game of chess.

As a part of the Chess in Slums Africa five-man team for the Ubuntu Cultural Exchange programme, Mary won a silver medal and a $100 cash prize. Her performance showcased her talent as a chess player and marked a significant milestone in her burgeoning chess career.

Watch out for Mary Victor Zira, she is not stopping anytime soon.

#itispossibletodogreatthingsfromasmallplace.