Aaron Thompson is the Director of Outreach for Chess in Slums, a volunteer-driven non-profit started by Tunde Onakoya to enrich the lives of children in Nigeria who face economic adversity. He spent several years as a tournament director in the United States, but is working with Chess in Slums to promote their initiatives and to attract their sponsors. I was introduced to their work a few months ago on Twitter and hope I can do my part in sharing their stories and goals as they continue to grow as an initiative. I am delighted to share this episode with you today!
Episode highlights:
The role of chess in enriching the lives of children, generally
The importance of Chess in Slums being an initiative for Nigerians, by Nigerians
Transitioning from tournament director to an outreach director
Current and future goals of Chess in Slums
The story of Ferdinand the chess prodigy (must listen)
Changing perceptions of poverty with Chess in Slums
How to help Chess in Slums as a listener
Future expansions (Palestine, Burkina Faso, more)
The impact of COVID-19 on the Chess in Slums mission
A minor earthquake joins the show??
Aaron's philosophy as a chess player and finding his role in the international chess community
I talk a bit about why I love podcasting about chess :-)
64: A Chess Podcast is sponsored by Aimchess. Use code "DAVID30" to get 30% off of your first month with Aimchess.
Thanks to Aaron Thompson for coming onto the show. You can follow him on Twitter: @aar_thom
Please follow @Tunde_OD and @chessinslums on Twitter!
Follow the podcast on Twitter: @64Podcast
Follow David Vizgan (the host) on Twitter: @davidvizgan