PERSONAL STORY

Anytime I think of my past, tears of joy roll down my cheeks because it shaped my course in life, gave me the ability to work harder and appreciate women.
I was born into a disciplined, hard working and strong Christian family that has a vision for the development of their children and community. As the fifth child, in a family of six children, I’m the first daughter. My parents did not compromise with their faith and integrity. My arrival into the family brought so much joy and fulfillment, especially to my mother, who expressed her gratitude to God by giving me a name: Oluchukwu (God’s work). She would often tell me stories of the community, Jesus’ works and how the demise of her parents truncated her education. She would look steadily into my eyes and say “I want you to be educated so that you can speak, “supri-supri”(English language). She continued: “Although our community does not value girl- child’s education but you will go to school”. I would node my head with pride.
Unfortunately, this intimacy was short lived; she passed on twelve days after my tenth birthday. (The crash of the Titanic) Meanwhile my father died two years earlier. For my part, I taught she had gone to the market as usual to sell. Each day, I looked on the straight road expecting to see her come home with her usual gifts. My best friend, my back bone had gone forever, without saying goodbye to her lovely daughter. For years, I searched for my mother’s face on every woman I saw. Her exit brought her dream for me to a standstill. I passed from one aunt’s house to an orphanage home and to uncle’s house.
Two years later, our eldest brother took me along with my siblings to Lagos. My dexterous hands supported my siblings, especially my little sister whom I obligatorily became a mother to at the age of 12. My mother’s dream resurged in my life as I had the boldness to search for a school for my little sister and myself
I passed through the eye of the needle to get to where I am today. What matters is that I made it with God and determination. Today I hold a master degree in education, diploma in social work for development, certificate courses.
My experience in life has propelled me to care and work for indigent women and unemployed youth poverty/illiteracy alleviation programmes. SKILDEV initiate, design and train them on various skill acquisition for successful Small and Medium enterprise, self reliance and wealth creation.
Today, SKILDEV has impacted skill to women in indifferent communities, physically challenged women are not left out, over 1,800 women and youth have acquired various skills in the centre, worked with Nigeria Television Authority on skill acquisition programmes for wider coverage and presently working with Lagos State Ministry of education for mass literacy campaign. Join SKILDEV today to lift women from poverty for Africa development.