In the heart of Adamawa State, a quiet revolution is unfolding – one that swaps guns for pawns and fear for strategy. Led by a former beauty queen turned chess coach, children from Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps are rising above trauma to take their place on global stages.
For 12-year-old Mary Zira, life in the Michika IDP camp was all she had ever known. Born shortly before her family fled violence, the camp was her reality – until a chessboard changed everything.
The transformation began with Vivian Ibrahim, a one-time Miss Adamawa whose personal passion for chess became a mission to empower displaced children. “I started playing chess in secondary school,” she said. “That first ₦500 win stayed with me. It wasn’t about the money – it was about the spark.”
After her reign as beauty queen, Vivian committed to supporting children’s education, especially for girls in underserved communities. A visit to an IDP camp – where a child’s joy at receiving a notebook moved her deeply – left a lasting impression. When a government policy ended her teaching job, Vivian founded the Queen Vee Chess Academy in 2019, starting with students who could afford it. But her heart pulled her elsewhere.
She began offering free chess lessons at IDP camps, starting with Malkoi and later expanding to camps like EYN, where she met Mary. Using biscuits to attract the children and adapting to language barriers, Vivian found her students not only willing but gifted. “I saw raw potential in kids no one was watching,” she said. “Chess became a way to prove the North has brilliance to offer.”
Through the academy, Vivian has sponsored the education of 40 children, covering school fees and providing materials. Mary was one of them—sharp, observant, and determined. Under Vivian’s guidance, she began competing and winning across local and regional chess tournaments.
In 2025, Mary’s journey reached an international milestone. She was invited to represent Nigeria at the Chess and Community Conference and Tournament in the U.S., returning home with a silver medal and $100 in prize money. A girl once considered just another IDP had become a national symbol of resilience and potential.
Now on full scholarship at the American University of Nigeria Academy in Yola, Mary continues her studies and chess training. She’s not alone. More children are following in her footsteps, with chess as both a tool and a lifeline.
But the road hasn’t been smooth. Vivian recalls crying when a driver refused to return to a faraway camp. Media houses ignored her efforts. Sponsors pulled out at the last minute. Yet, she persisted often relying on personal networks to keep the program running.
“People questioned why I was doing this – especially as a woman. But I knew chess was more than a game. It was a gateway,” she said.
Today, Queen Vee Chess Academy is more than a grassroots initiative – it’s a movement redefining possibilities for Nigeria’s displaced children. In Vivian’s words, “These kids aren’t just survivors. They’re strategists, leaders, visionaries. They just need someone to believe in them.”
Written by Lois Abba Sambo
© WAVN
