When I walked into Cherryfield Orphanage in Abuja, I thought I was just going to visit. I did not know I was going to teach a music class that would change everything.
It was my second day at the orphanage. The matron asked me, "Olachi, can you teach the children how to sing?" I have never taught music for a large group before, but I love music. I said yes.
We did not have a big hall. We just arranged white plastic chairs under the veranda. I sat with my small keyboard, and the children gathered around me. Some were shy. Some were smiling.
I started with a simple song. "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine." At first, only two children sang. Their voices were very low. Then I told them, "In this place, nobody will laugh at you. Sing with your heart."
That changed everything.
Joy, a 10-year-old girl who had not spoken since I arrived, stood up. She closed her eyes and sang so beautifully that everyone became silent. Her voice was like an angel. She sang, "Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine."
All the children joined her. The shy ones, the small ones, everyone sang. We sang for almost one hour. We sang, we clapped, we laughed. For that one hour, they forgot that they are orphans. They were just children, happy and free.
After the class, Blessing walked to me and whispered, "Aunty Olachi, when I grow up, I want to be a music teacher like you." I hugged her and tears came to my eyes.
That day I learned something important. These children don't just need food and clothes. They need someone to listen to them. They need someone to help them find their own voice.
Music gave them confidence. It gave them hope.
This is why I will continue to visit Cherryfield Orphanage. Not just to write stories, but to teach, to listen, and to remind them that they matter.
If you have ever visited an orphanage, what did you teach the children? Share your experience in the comments. And please, don't forget to read Part 1 of this story.
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