They Picked Me Up Before I Fell: My Journey with the Women of World Pulse

Dear reader, this is the story of how the amazing women in World Pulse rallied around me, helped me find my voice and purpose again.

It’s been 44 days since I posted my story and 28 days since I got an email that my story has been published on the World Pulse global platform.

The Story Behind the Story

Just like I told Ma’am Tamarack (you will get to know about her later on in this story), I wrote my story that got featured in one of my lowest moments. I wrote it in tears and in contemplation of suicide. I was at a total dead end. And this was what happened: I had previously received an international job offer in Ireland. It was more than a dream come true for me. I was more excited about the possibilities of enrolling more kids in school since I would now be earning a substantial amount of money. But that hope was dashed, and my excitement was crushed just when I thought there was a breakthrough. My employee wrote DETE to revoke my work permits, not because I was not competent enough for the job, but because of a personal altercation between us, and they decided to retaliate in what was a sheer power play and misogynistic show off. That experience felt like the end of the road. Imagine wanting something so bad and you eventually got it, only to lose it to the decision of a man who doesn’t see you as a human. I wrote my featured story because even at that darkest moment, I remembered that there was a community of women who would read my story with compassion and empathy. I wrote my story for two reasons: first, to remind myself that I’ve been through the worst as a child and as an adult, and I walked out of every fire refined instead of getting burnt, and secondly to inspire another woman out there who may be feelling hopeless and discouraged that this is not the end, and that your dreams are still valid.

My World Pulse Sheroes

Mrs Busayo Obisakin: She laid this foundation. She runs an NGO that I volunteered for when I was in Uni. Her grit, passion, and dedication to the well-being of the girl child were a source of motivation for me. She introduced me alongside some other young ladies to World Pulse during one of her programs for the girl child. I consider this one of the best gifts any young girl could ask for.

Ma’am Kat Haber: This woman read my story and extended her heart and hands to me. She introduced me to the WE Rotary Club, a place that is now more than a platform to me. I found a new family in the WE Rotary Club. A family of people who care beyond race and borders. The first time I attended a virtual meeting with them felt like they had known me for a long time. I felt more than at home; I felt at peace. And when I was given the opportunity to give a speech about my initiative, they all listened attentively to me, even when I felt that my presentation was not polished enough. They saw through my passion beyond the unpolished presentation, and they gave me the biggest encouragement and support I could ever ask for. Sister Kat is that sister who would hold your hand every single step of the way, move mountains for you, and tell you, “You’ve got this.” Her positive energy is contagious, and she will graciously help you see the most beautiful part of a seemingly mundane and overlooked phenomenon. She is on trips collecting ribbons and initiating conversations with stranger to know their greatest future desires. This simple yet iconic movement had produced answers that proved that little things can indeed improve the world and make it a better place. The WE Rotary Club is a place where you will learn how to find peace in everything around you and in everything you do.

Ma’am Tamarack: She is a woman whose effort of over five decades on women's finding freedom inspires me in no small measure. Through the story of how she started her movement, I am encouraged and inspired that great initiatives start off as small seeds that will later become a forest if given the chance to germinate. The 60-minute call I had with her fueled my passion and showed me that with women like her in my corner, the sky is just a starting point for School in Slum Africa. Through her, I’ve realised that supersheroes are not always wearing magical and colourful capes; sometimes, they wear capes of love, empathy, and support.

I wrote my featured story thinking I had fallen victim to yet another misogynistic circumstance again, but these women, the ones whose names are here and the ones whose touches are engraved in my heart, picked me up just before I fell and crashed. Every single comment by any woman on this platform is the hallmark of accolades and support, and an assurance that no matter what, I’m never alone with the World Pulse community beside me.

I am grateful for every woman whose story has given me courage.

For every kind word that reminded me that I am not alone.

For leaders like Mrs Busayo, Ma’am Kat and Ma’am Tamarack who choose to lift others as they climb.

For a platform like World Pulse that makes all of this possible

This journey is teaching me patience, faith, and the importance of community, and I am grateful that World Pulse is part of that community I am growing.

My initiative is growing. And I am learning to trust that growth even when it is slow, even when it is quiet.

With love,

Eniola Oluranti

Founder, School in Slum Africa