Thanks to all ladies of hive. I love you all. Ladies are a very special kind of people, and that is why I love this special community. For this week contest which is #86, I want to talk about the extreme example of poverty I have ever seen using myself as a case study.
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I was born into a very poor family, lost my dad even before I was born. I only know my mother, not even a photograph of my father at least to see how he looks like.
My mother was left with four of us to care for, and she was just a farmer who goes from farm to farm helping people with their farm work so as to feed her children. To make matters worse, she had no male child, and that means she has no right to her late husband's properties, beside her husband didn't even leave much behind.
I was given to my father's younger sister who lives in Jos, Plateau State in Nigeria to reduce the workload for my poor mother.
That is how I left my mother in Imo state when I was just five years old. Life was not easy for me growing up without my mother and my sisters.
There in Jos, I was unrolled in a primary school, but before going to school in the morning, I will wake up by 5 am to go round the community selling "Akamu " pap, made with maize. Coming back by 7 am, I will then leave for school without taking anything for breakfast. By 2 pm I am back. My Anty will ask me to go to the market to buy what will be used to prepare lunch. Remember that I have not eaten since morning.
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My sisters were married off to the people that can take care of them. I only grow up to hear that my sisters are married. Though I was the last born and didn't understand much about marriage.
I couldn't push through with my education as a result of many factors ranging from poverty, lack of educated people around me, and what have you. I had to sale all kind of things to survive. I hawked: orange, akamu, akara (bean cake) mango, fried meat. And so on.
When it became obvious that my people can't take good care of me, the next thing that came to my mind was to get married and rest from all the troubles caused by poverty. I got married, not too early, I was about 24 years when I got married, but not exposed to the fact that marriage is not the solution, but I also need to equip myself before getting married.
I was not told by anyone that marriage is a place of responsibilities, I thought I will find rest, but the reverse was the case. I started having children that I was not prepared to cater for. It continued until I began to know that a woman needs to be empowered before getting married.
I took the challenge to go back to school 9 years ago. Wrote my O level exams, passed, went to college of education Akwanga, came out with good grades, got a little job and furthered my education to Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Nigeria. Presently in 200 level studying language art.
I believe God that I will soon push through despite the fact that the journey has not been easy for me. Going to school with all my five kids in school at the same time. God has been there for me.
I have seen poverty, tested poverty and lived a poor life since I was a child. But I am fighting so hard to get out of poverty and I never wished any of my child to go through the kind of poverty I have gone through.