13 September 2026
We had a draft news post all ready to go, announcing Chibuike’s Canadian study visa. That post will have to wait a little longer.
On Thursday, September 10, we learned his third application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) was denied—the latest in a string of hard breaks that are no fault of his own. However, the coda—the finale for a musical work—has yet to be reached.
FUNDING CHALLENGE … IRCC’s concern was financial, stating they want an irrefutable plan that four years of study in Victoria will be covered, not just documentation of what we have provided so far. This included an affidavit guaranteeing support and a history of full support for nearly three years. But the cost of living in Canada is immensely different from the cost of living in Nigeria. We are working now to make that guarantee as clear as possible, and we will resubmit in the coming days. In the meantime, the University of Victoria has agreed to defer his enrollment to January.
One thing we want you to know is that the support you and so many others have already given — and anything that continues to come in — will be enough to carry him through December. That is a grand show of confidence, and we are all deeply grateful, especially Chibuike.
TAKEN … Just days later, on Sunday, September 6, Chibuike was riding a bus to find a place to charge his devices—electricity at his apartment in Lagos is unreliable at best. Several men entered the bus and robbed him at gun and knife point, taking his laptop, tablet, phone, and battery pack, and draining his bank account through his phone. He was not physically hurt and friends have loaned him older devices so he can keep communicating in the meantime as best he can, although a significant challenge.
FAMILY IN MOURNING … And then, after months of declining health, his grandmother passed away a few weeks ago. Her family will wait to hold her funeral until they can celebrate her life in the full Igbo tradition she deserves. As one who helped raise him, her influence lives on in Chibuike’s determination to succeed.
WITH RESOLVE … Through all of it, Chibuike remains himself — resolute, grounded, and already finding ways forward. He has picked up small music gigs and is working to build a roster of online students to help cover his expenses. This resilience is nothing new. It is the same quiet strength that has carried him through hardship his whole life, paired with a family that raised him to always look ahead. That strength, joined with his devotion to music and to the people who have stood by him, keeps him writing his life’s composition — determined to reach the coda on his own terms.
As always, we will keep you posted as we hear a determination on this next application, which may not come for several weeks. Thank you, as always, for being part of his story.
With Gratitude,
Hank Knerr
Fund Manager
If Able to Assist Further
Raising Arts ... Serving the Arts Community 