I went to see the optometrist for an appointment as I was due for a new pair of glasses. Done with the eye test and all, I was told to to come back the next day for my glasses. But the next working day is Monday so I have to wait till Monday before I get my glasses.
Done with everything, I decide to stop by at a friends place on my way back, as her place was easy to locate en route home. I got to her place and I met her at her mom's store right in front of her house and we all stayed there together, catching up on everything we've missed about each other. In the course of our discussions, all the while feeding my eyes with whatever trolls the street, I came across something disheartening.
Among the people who walked past the shop, there was a pregnant woman with a big bowl of water on her head. I've never really thought deeply about it when I hear about the scarcity of water in the underdeveloped parts of Lagos. I always thought it was one of the normal hardships associated with Nigeria. In a sense, it is. But I don't know why it broke me to see the amount of stress that woman had to go through just to provide water for herself and her family. How hard that could have been, yet she was ready to do that just to guarantee her family's wellbeing.
Thinking about it all while making this post, I realized that I've been unappreciative of the little things I've been privileged to have. I remember how I and my siblings always joked casually about how we cannot carry a keg of 25litres from a relatively far distance and I realized that I've never really thought about how hard it would all have been if we weren't provided with such basics by our parents.
It's sad to see that the government aren't even making any moves towards improving the living standard of the citizens. They're more concerned with making up lists of achievements which the citizens never benefit from. This experience, also made me think about the struggles of others whom I might not have come across or even know about their hardships. If only the government would at least be kind enough, since they have forgotten that it is their duty to provide amenities for the citizens. If only they would be kind enough and not turn a deaf ear to the hardships and sufferings people are going through. If only they could open their eyes to the hardships of the citizens. I can only wish for the government to do something because there is nothing I can do within my power. I'm just a student. But if I could, I would definitely do all that it takes to reduce the level of hardship going on in Nigeria and improve the standard of living at the same time.
I didn't know I would be making a post like this earlier today but I just had to. I came across a reel on Instagram saying "when you're down, write" and I decided to do that.