Fighting alone without someone to guide you on scholarships ,applications or career ,no rich parents nor uncles to rely on.Behind every smile in a classroom may be a story of sacrifice,financial hardship,sleepless nights and unwavering determination. This is a story of struggles to fight for my education,I have been staying with my auntie for years ,since when I was nine till now ,determined to obtain in a university after writing my senior exam ,despite financial hardship,staying with my aunt I meant I could continue my education even though it came with responsibilities,far beyond of an ordinary student ,life under my aunts roof was far from comfortable,everyday begins with responsibilities,from school to work .
Thinking of getting a better education and support from my aunt was another way out ,she trained her children in school,me hoping to be supported also fails ,maybe because am not her daughter she doesn’t want to spend or support me ,she wants me to clean and do all house chores and take care of her shop . I have to apply for a work she doesn’t wants me to work after all the arguments and fights I went through with her ,I have to call my parents that I have to work to start saving for myself in school,they said I should go ahead ,but because am staying with my aunt,she doesn’t wants me to work ,I have to submit my cv in a supermarket as a janitor/cleaner ,I started working there,started earning my money salary that is 40k depending on it and using some of the money to buy some certain things in the house ,when I have worked for three years as a janitor I have to purchase a jamb form ,I purchased it and later sat for the exam and passed .
I got admission in imo start university faculty of media and communication studies ,I was so happy,I told my auntie she was so happy,later on i told my auntie about the school list meant to pay ,she did not say anything or react to it ,and before then I have said almost a three hundred thousand for my school bills ,I used it in paying my school fees and the others and bought some new cloths as a fresher ,I was so happy to be in university,I felt like I was rich a rich kid not knowing that I have more levels to carry on ,when I was in 200lvl I started seeing shege for myself,is hard to pay for my textbook book and others ,I was like thinking am gone ,200level second semester was my toughest time in school I wanted to drop out ,I wasn’t seeing money as I used to ,I want to join hookup like style but I said to myself,that was not the way I was raised,I was raised in a good home but despite the challenges I was contented with myself.
I have a friend who introduced me to ushering agency due to the way we share things and house close we are ,she introduced me to ushering and Catherine agency where I can also start earning money .I started doing two jobs to save myself from bills ,I have to manage ,balancing work and education became one of the greatest challenges of my life ,they were days when her be work schedule classed with lectures,forcing her to rush from one place to another in effort to avoid missing either .Her daily routine became a cycle of exchusion,she work up early to complete household chores,reported to work when scheduled,attended lectures whenever she could ,returned hone late to continue her domestic responsibilities and still found time often at night to read for test ,assignment and examinations ,sleep became a luxury rather than a necessity,rest was replaced by responsibilities,sometimes questioned myself whether the struggle was worth it ,yet each time I felt like giving up ,I remembered that I have started the journey already.
I don’t blame student that dropout of school or student that do hookup because the burden is too much for them to bear . *Education should never become a privilege reserved only for those with financial comfort .Every student deserves an opportunity to pursue knowledge without constantly worrying about survival,let us build a society where students are remembered for their academic excellence rather than unbearable hardships they endured to reach graduation ,when we support struggling students today ,we invest in the leaders and innovators who will shape a better tomorrow.
This is why urgent action is needed *Government should expand scholarship,programs ,bursaries and financial aid for students from low income families. *universities should strengthen programs that allows students to earn an income with compromising their academic progress. *private organizations and non governmental organizations should invest in educational support initiatives that help hardworking student complete their education. *Families and communities should also recognize the importance of creating environments where students can study without excessive burdens that interfere with their academic success. *To student :Don’t quit your struggle has purpose *for advocacy if they feel it they will act on it .
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