- D
My name is Emikay Ogbeide. I am an educator, researcher, and mother to a brave little girl who is a sickle cell warrior.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, my daughter was forced to miss an entire year of school. As an immunocompromised child, the risk of infection was too high. But the truth is, even before the pandemic, she was already struggling to keep up. Frequent hospital visits and pain crises meant she missed weeks of school at a time.
Even with all my experience as a teacher and all the resources I could muster, it has been a constant uphill battle to help her catch up. If my daughter, whose mother is an educator, was being left behind, what about the thousands of children with sickle cell disease in Nigeria whose families do not have the means? That realization broke me, but it also gave me a mission. No child should have to sacrifice health for learning.
Why Oxford?
Out of this deeply personal struggle grew a professional commitment. I applied to the University of Oxford, the world's number one university, to pursue a Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) in Education, with a focus on improving access to education for children living with sickle cell disease and other chronic illnesses in Nigeria. Oxford saw the value in this work, and I was accepted. But acceptance is only half the journey. To make this dream a reality, I need funding support.
Why You Can Trust This Work
This is not a new dream; it’s the continuation of what I’ve already been building through OneTeacher Nigeria, the teacher support network I founded. Over the years, I’ve:
- Trained and mentored more than 300 teachers across Nigeria,
- Launched free literacy programs for disadvantaged children,
- Created a TeacherConnect Center in Abuja, where teachers access digital skills training and internet resources,
- Conducted research on the impact of COVID-19 on teachers to shape real support programs.
I have dedicated my career to making education more inclusive and equitable. This DPhil is about scaling that same commitment, bringing research, evidence, and policy influence to improve access to education for children with chronic illnesses.
Why This Matters
Nigeria has the highest burden of sickle cell disease in the world. Children living with SCD face enormous barriers to staying in school and keeping up with their peers. Behind every statistic is a child with dreams that too often slip away because classrooms are not built to accommodate their realities.
My research will:
- Document the educational challenges children with SCD face.
- Design practical, inclusive interventions schools can adopt.
- Provide evidence to influence education and health policies in Nigeria.
- Create hope for families who are too often told to choose between treatment and learning.
This isn’t just about my daughter. It’s about thousands of children like her, children who deserve the chance to learn, thrive, and dream.
How You Can Help
I am raising 155,000 CAD (£82,379) to cover:
Tuition fees at Oxford and relocation expenses for myself and my daughter before October 21st, 2025.
Every contribution, big or small, is a step toward ensuring children with sickle cell disease do not have to trade their health for their education.
If you cannot donate, you can still help by sharing this campaign widely. Your support means the world — not just to me, but to every child this research will impact.
Thank you for believing with me that health and learning should go hand in hand. Together, we can make sure no child is left behind.
Organizer
