Real Life Stories: After Ten Years of Hardship, I Saw Light at the End of the Tunnel

I want the young people to be inspired by my story and also want them to know that hard times are here to prepare us for the future and that they do not last forever. My father died when I was just 15 year-old, leaving me with my mum and three other siblings. It was an extremely long hard and bumpy ride, but there’s always light at the end of the tunnel.

After his death, life was hard to say the least. We lost our home and the basic comfort we were used. While one of my siblings dropped out of school, I went on to finish my SSCE and gained admission into the University. I was happy but my happiness was short-lived because there was no money to process my registration and to pay my bills in school. I asked people around for money but everyone had one excuse than the other, then I took up baby-sitting and running errands for people.

I would ask my church members if then needed a nanny for a few weeks and offer my services to them in exchange for their support towards my immediate educational needs. I became serviceable to anyone who needed my service, and gradually, I was able to gather some amount of money to go to school. Even though it was a hard, long journey, I was happy to be studying at a prestigious Federal Government University like everyone else. I could go for days without a proper meal because I had no money. I had only one pair of black pants and a pair of Jeans that I was proud of. I had friends who had boyfriends who supported them. I will not lie, I had a boyfriend but he was also poor. I did not like the idea of dating a guy for money. I was all about real love.

Every time I became broke when I was school, I would run down to Lagos, look for little jobs and offer my services to anyone. I didn’t charge them but I made it clear I was in school and needed their support. To cut the long story short, in my final year, 400level, one Pastor who had observed how I had been struggling without any support, decided to give me a scholarship of Thirty-Thousand Naira every month until I graduated. This was more than a dream come true. Look at me going from scraping the ground to barely survive to having 30k every month for doing nothing. God bless that man.

This scholarship came at a time when I needed it the most. I was writing my final year project and it was required of me to stay in school so I could dedicate my time and attention to my research. And I did!

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At the age of 25, I graduated from the University with a Bachelor degree in arts and secured a job during my NYSC that paid me like a graduate. I saved money every month and moved my family from a slum to a better area in the city. I have also been able to support my siblings with their education. I was promoted to become the head of my department in less than a year of my employment. All thanks to God, my drive and resilience.

Those ten years seemed like eternity but here I am looking back and thanking God for bringing me thus far.  Be inspired!