Disturbed: It has happened again and it may reoccur.

Grrrrrrrrnnnnn

Grrrrrrrrnnn

My phone beeps

It's been ringing for some minutes but I was unconscious of the happenings in my immediate environment.

Blame me not.

I was in deep thought.

Ife is about losing her admission into the university.

Who is Ife? How? What? Why?....

.

I know you these are the questions on your mind.

I met Ife about 5 months ago in church.

Such a sharp and forward girl but very determined teenager.

We got talking some Sundays later.

I inquired about her education and she told me she passed her WASSCE and UTME.

Just last night, I was called into an emergency meeting that had Ife as the Agenda.

She has just gained admission into one of the state universities in Nigeria but her parents are financially handicapped at the moment to even cough out almost half a million naira for her education.

I learnt she has been rejecting food, crying herself to sleep and even attempted murder since her parents' honest declaration.

My heart bled at the realization that Ife could miss this opportunity, after having written UTME (An entrance exam to tertiary institution in Nigeria) three times.

During our first discuss, I realized she was beginning to feel frustrated as her efforts to secure an admission to the tertiary institution have been futile but I encouraged her not to lose hope, using my personal admission experience.

Now that she has been able to make the shortlist in a State University. She might lose it for lack of money.

Inquiring about how she intends to cope since the second year school fee is also as high as #200 000, that is based on the assumption that she receives help and scale through this admission phase.

I saw her brought her head down slowly, as if in dejection. Then she screamed "I want to go to school", "I do not mind what it will cost me". "I want to go now" "not next year".

I know she works as an Office Assistant around the area, so I asked for her savings even if the pay is "peanut", I believe she should have some savings.

She replied that her savings have been used for pre-admission expenses like obtaining forms of different schools, travelling for screening and so on.

Argh!

"Why didn't you pick an affordable university?" I asked.

She said her parents were doing fine before June this year and they encouraged her to choose the school. Plus the fact that the school fee was affordable for them before this recent abnormal increase in fees.

Even while asking that question, I recalled my experience too. I had my Undergraduate study in a Federal University with a Private University kinda fee. I can still recall vividly the shock on my parents face when I presented the total fee to be paid by new students. He asked if the school had been privatized for it to have been that expensive. Imagine having to pay roughly #200 000 in 2011 as a new student, when my friends in Unilag and others were doing less than #70 000.

My parents would not let the admission go.

They sourced for the money from everywhere.

I saw the grit.

I saw the "this girl must go to the university this year with this 293 UTME score" look.

I fasted and prayed for a miracle. My parents got helped and the fact that the cost of my higher education didn't come easy for them fueled my determination to graduate with a good grade. Securing a 5.0 in one semester like that was fueled by hunger (Lack of food) and grit, lol. I got a scholarship after my second year and they were relieved of the burden of my school fee.

Recalling those days now with glee and I am more than grateful for those who helped my parents. They laid the foundation for my development.

I related my story to Ife's and I reiterated the need to excel in life beyond grades to her.

Ife is not the only girl in a fix. There are many that have come to me this year, but I know it is not going to end on Ife. Many ambitious youths will be a victim of financial incapacity on their way to self development.

Ensuring girls get adequate education will help solve issues of poverty, starvation, gender inequalities and more. It is a means to an end.

It is the rationale behind Go Girl Annual Projects. To give meaning to the lives of females via empowerment.

My team and I have been about helping teenagers and women discover skills and monetize them via many projects. As we believe empowering them will help them fund their education.

As much as we are driven to give girls opportunities to go to school, we can only do our bit till we increase our capacity too.

What else do you think is the solution to this?

?Please note that I believe in acquiring education and also discovering one's potentials. Hence refrain from using the cliche of "school is a scam" School is not a scam.

Do you know any scholarships for girls that just secured admissions?

Please share. Thank you!

? Deborah Odeniyi

#girlchildeducation #genderequality #highereducationissues #educationfinancing #fdo