LA petite academy, home away from home-Akunna Nwanmuo,the proprietress
Getting Akunna Mwanmuo,the brain behind LA Petite Academy an after-school hour academy, was eventually worthwhile. Her busy schedule includes making LA Petite Academy environment second to none.
She took time out to speak to Adewale Ogunniran on various issues concerning her passion and pet project.
Though Akunna is a business administration graduate with Master’s degree in Strategic Management from an America university.
She was born and bred in San Francisco, northern California, United States of America. She came back home (Nigeria) 16 years ago, having worked in various corporate organisations in the USA. She was also co-founder of a non-,profit organisation in northern California, USA named BANYA. The NGO deals with child education, social events for kids, etc. “This is where I got interested in child education,” Akunna said.
She had worked with top corporate organisations in Nigeria on her arrival from America but those jobs gave her no fulfillment like her vision and passion for child education, which she has just ventured into. According to her, “I feel fulfilled and happy putting LA Petite Academy together, this is what I have passion doing”..She agreed that it took her some time to put the concept together but with the help of her father and elder brother she was able to achieve what she had been yearning for.
Akunna is of Imo State parentage, and believes that LA Petite Academy will be a huge success because of her passion for child education and financial resources she had committed on the project.
On the facilities:
LA Petite Academy is located on two plots of land in the highbrow Wuse 2, area in Abuja with 1st class facilities that can be found in any child academy.”In everything we fix in La Petite Academy, we place children first, so it’s a home away from home,” she pointed out.
Though La Petite Academy is designed for children between the ages of 3months to 4 years,the facilities installed there include air conditioners,15 cctv monitoring, 24/7 light and water, sick bay with a pediatrician, potty training among many more.
Asked the rationale behind separation of classroom from dinning, she has this to say: “The whole idea of separating classrooms from dinning is to have an idea of what is obtainable in the home. While the restroom is also pediatric toilet children size. The toilet is separated from the adults’ toilet.” she concluded.
On Security:
The properitress did not take the security of Academy with levity which was why they have 15 CCTV cameras covering all the classrooms and surroundings, of the including outside the fence of the academy.
LA Petite Academy can boast of quality teachers with good degrees to impart knowledge into the child. Akunna says the academy is a fabulous place for parents seeking a secure, clean and fun-filled environment for their children.
On the affordability, Akunna erased the fear of the academy being out of reach to some parents.”It is affordable, we sympathize with the parents because of the economic situation. We don’t want parents to pay university bill here, nevertheless, we don’t compromise standards because of money,” she said. She went further to say that there are incentives of 5 per cent reduction in the fees for civil servants parent or parents with more than one child in the academy.
The major challenge being of the establishment is financial situation of Nigeria parents. The country’s financial position is a great challenge, she said.
Nevertheless, she shows appreciation to parents who have been patronizing LA Petite Academy for having confidence in them .”We have services that are working. every child is treated like our own,” she said.
On the future of the academy, she said that they have plans to open branches in different areas of Abuja, Imo state and Lagos with international quality education at affordable fees
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