In the village there lived a smart little girl named Adeola, very smart. Adeola stayed with Baba and Mama in their small yet comfortable hut on the edge of town. Her parents were farmers and worked themselves out to fend for themselves.
Adeola always wanted to be a doctor, to work for her people, to make a change in the world. She just studied all the time, she would actually read her text books, and she would ask alhaji (the old man in the village) questions. Her parents, though supportive, were skeptical about her chances of achieving such a lofty goal. "It's not easy, Adeola," they would say. "You're just a village girl. You need to get married and find a good husband. ".
But Adeola was determined. She knew that if she tried hard enough and stuck with it then she could get over anything. She soon adopted the saying "never say never" and that would be her response to any hesitation she felt.
As Adeola entered her final year of secondary school, she faced her biggest challenge yet. The village school was in dire need of resources, and the government had announced plans to shut it down due to lack of funding. The villagers were in mourning and Adeola couldn't help it.
With the help of her friends they host a lot of fund raisers from Kutas (African dances) to bake sales. She also called all the nearby companies begging for donations and sponsorships. Her strong will and will to will the whole town got behind her.
Well, around that time a really rich business man, Chief Olufemi, had been observing adeola's hardships from a distance. Impressed by her tenacity, he decided to pay a visit to the village. Chief Olufemi moved by the plight of the villagers and the zeal of Adeola. And he promised to give a lot of money to save the school but he would only do it if adeola could get the government to match it.
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Adeola, undaunted by the task, traveled to the state capital to meet with the Education Minister. She replied with her "never say never" theme and pleaded her case on how the children in her village need their education. The Minister, taken aback by her confidence and conviction, agreed to meet with Chief Olufemi and discuss the possibility of a joint donation.
After weeks of negotiations, the deal was sealed. Oh well so the government heard about Chief Olufemi's donation and decided to match it and the Village of Hope School was saved. The villagers celebrated long into the night, their joy and gratitude palpable.
Adeola's achievement not only has secured her future, but it has given others like her the hope. Oh well, the revision of the school brought about a renassiance in the town and more kids attended college, obtained jobs.
There Adeola sat in her remodeled school with people and friends and family and everyone, and she realized that her saying "never say never" had become an inspiration to her hood. For she had shown that no matter how impossible the dreams, if one has the will and determination they will come true.
So the village of hope did well, and so did the generations. Adeola's story served as a reminder that, no matter the obstacles, one should never give up on their aspirations. Because as adeola herself would say, "when you say never, you put a constraint on yourself. But you know that phrase "never say never" and there you go.