My ‘a thousand miles’ journey

How and why I chose to invest in my sister’s education, against all odds, on a $150 salary

Two nights ago I paid the final tuition for the private education my sister who currently pursues a Business Education degree at a Catholic institution of higher learning in Nigeria. She does not know yet (<smiley> emoji) and I am broke (<love> emoji). I started that journey against all odds from a $150 salary.

Good friends begged me to forgo that pursuit. I fought a brother for almost allowing me to miss the deadline for initial payments because he would want me to relinquish my office laptop while our CEO was away for a business trip. Here is the quick story:

My first job at InfoMall was an entry-level job that introduced me to the world of fleet and project management and Tech. This was early 2017 barely three months after a Research and Project Associate role with Hexavia — a management consulting firm.

InfoMall worked on so many things at the same time, and I was better for it. I could easily put in my writing skills to use helping with their marketing efforts which has helped me significantly in getting other part-time opportunities and freelance gigs. I also developed my project management skill when my direct report was heavily involved at a capital project for all 5 Nigerian International Airport — a project I was proudly part of.

At InfoMall’s Crowdexpress, I would lead the efforts to ensure things ran smoothly for launch and the support of our customers. I was like the product manager even though I was officially its Fleet supervisor based on my college background as a transport manager.

It was a lean team. We were wearing several hats at the same time. I almost forgot my core as a transport manager as I was working on several things at the same time.

My $150 salary was a good leap from my previous earnings at the time and it meant a lot to me. I was able to earn and care for my parents and siblings. My parents had hammered how important caring for my siblings was from the time I attained the age of reason.

But my office was far from my Ikorodu home. $150 is barely enough for a month’s trip to Lekki with ready-to-eat snacks on transit. So we were all happy to be offered a space to live in during weekdays. We get to save more on transport and spent more on food.

My first job

I had provided for a small team led by my friend a curriculum for high school and upper basic classes while in my final year of undergraduate studies. I did this probono as I was excited about the opportunity of developing learning materials for students in high school which meant my siblings will get to use them. I was glad that I could find some materials off the NERDC platform and through surveys from teachers active in traditional classroom teaching.

As the substitute Project Manager for Educate Lagos — a project backed by the State Government to build what was known as Africa’s largest educational platform — I was saddled with the responsibility of ensuring the delivery of quality education material to other partners in the process for the Lagos State Government. Eventually, the Project Manager would be more involved with a bigger project with the Federal Government and I would manage this project fully as its Project Manager.

I led a team of about 33 individuals to achieve the feat we did with the project which was commissioned by His Excellency, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode in 2019. It was tough. The late-night studio sessions with Voice Over Artists, early morning meetings with scriptwriters, mid-morning sessions with the sound engineer and constant back and forth with the animators. The team was superb, the task was tough, so was I.

Unknown Waters

My increased role at InfoMall, especially with this important project meant that there were some sweet offerings for milestones. I was at the top of every milestone. I saved the firm 800% of the sum initially earmarked for the latter part of the project from when I took over as PM. And in many cases invested a few of my funds to ensure that the project kept going. I was rewarded.

I also enjoyed earning extra income from working as a Voice Over artist for the Economics videos and spending quality time with my smart friend who was involved in mathematical and physics.

It was unknown waters that we sailed but the leadership was happy to trust us with delivering excellence. They also provided strong support.

Let nothing disturb you, Let nothing frighten you, All things are passing away: God never changes. … Whoever has God lacks nothing; God alone suffices — St Teresa of Avila

Bold Decision

Shortly after I graduated from college, my younger sister aced her O’ Level exams and while my parents had other plans for her to learn a trade and get busy, I was interested in ensuring she attends college.

She was a lady. she would get married. She can continue her education at her husband’s house. All excuses from kind people who knew that it was the lack of funds that is making my parents prefer a trade to continue education for the young lady. I was defiant.

I was defiant that she would do well in college. I paid for her first UTME while in my senior year. She was yet to write her O’Level then. Two years after graduation, I would conclude that the Nigerian education process for admitting students through the UTME was broken. It was all numbers and an examination of climbing trees for all animals. I am still working on the best way to solve this challenge today.

I decided that I would enrol her into private education.

Why?

The last post-UTME examination she had taken at the Nnamdi Azikwe University (UNIZIK) had her calling to tell me that her device went off about three times during the CBT exams. I couldn’t understand several things like why do students need to come to Awka to write a CBT exam. Why not have centred around major cities? This is a story for another medium article.

I remember a friend insisting that this was a near-suicide. — we were laughing about it last week. I was already earning about 90k now monthly, and very much involved in building StudyMate — an edTech platform for High School Students. I wore several hats on this new journey, and at different points when the team needed me to take action — Product Manager, Product Marketing Specialist, User Research Analyst, I may have even started a journey to learning ReactJS.

This or That

My father’s friend had introduced us to this family trying to sell a piece of property in Ikorodu close to my parent’s. My boss had paid me some money I was owed from the personal funds I spent on delivering Educate Lagos. My sister was sulking at spending one more year at home waiting for the next admission cycle.

I was already interested in moving my family to a more permanent situation. I knew it was possible. Just maybe someday I may not be able to afford their rent or it is due at a time I had no job or source of income. ‘What if I had the money tied in some important investment and I cannot liquidate?’

Well, my priorities had always been simple — Family, a Small home with a farmhouse, children and plenty of laughter in the air. I remember having that funds for that half plot of land in Oke-Ijebu after that payout. I remember even visiting the owners of the property, and how sad it must have been for them when I told them that my priorities were different.

I chose my sister’s education and general health as a result of achieving that dream against owning a property, no matter how grand that would have been. I could have bragged that I have a little property in Lagos and my parents lived there as LandLords; it was this or that and I chose the best.

It has been tough

The road to seeing my sister through school had been rough. She has endured a lot too to get her education. I am certain she had gotten more than a fair share of hunger pangs and days without food. Yet, she had shown resilience and brilliance in the face of her journey for education.

There have been more channels for funds to leave me every other time to ensure that I cater for all around me and still lead a happy life. Some days I have cried and gone praying about the next fees. And thankfully God brings a printing client or a business in need of a writer as I freelance, or a person in need of resume to be done, or a company seeking to register its business, or more recently a parent seeking remedial classes for their child, or a parishioner/friend who wants a frame done, or someone who needs to buy phone accessories or a client who needs to complete a part of a project and needs them ASAP.

God always brings such persons. And the bills get paid.

The journey has been winding and we are almost at the end of it now.

Was it worth it?

I will answer this with a story. I travelled nearly 603km to her matriculation. This was in January of 2019. She was dazzling and beaming. My mother had made the trip too, and in our usual family tradition had prepared a big cooler of rice for the occasion. My youngest siblings George and Maria were also present, playing happily in the park with the slides and see-saws. (I would travel back to Lagos with them that night.)

My mother was filled with pride in her daughter. My sister was also very happy. She introduced several of the new friends she had made in school before matriculation to us. They enjoyed my mum’s delicacies and we laughed heartily till the end.

It is almost time for the next celebration. She would soar with flying colours. She has acquired through grit and hard work nearly 90% of cumulative grades. She has been through a lot to see herself through studying here even completing phase 2 of the ATS exam and only 3 exams shy of an ACA status. Her grades are excellent. You will not notice the sleepless nights, the heartbreaks, and the prayers at the SSPX and FSSP chapels.

She deserves to be successful. I am only doing what God has positioned me to do in her life and will continue to serve His purpose for her. So, no, this is nothing. It was not my doing but it was worth it.

Would I do it again?

Yes. I have started another journey. Two more journeys like this may begin for me before the end of Fall ’22.

I have my own family now, but this journey will continue with my first family. And when it is time for Chinanum and his siblings, I will walk that journey with them too.

So help me God.

Can you do it?

Yes. No one is stopping you. The only thing that keeps you is the fear of the unknown. But I assure you, once you’re past the starting phase, God suffices.

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