Whatever your pain may be, there will always be sunshine after rain. But if you want to see sunshine, you have to weather the storm.
My name is Chukwuemeka Nwankwo and I am a chemical engineer in one of Nigeria’s choicest Oil and Gas firms. But my life wasn’t always easy. I struggled through life and my future looked pretty bleak.
The first ten years of my life were fun but everything took a twist when I lost my father at the age of 11. My mother who earned so little working as a teacher in a primary school went through difficult times while raising me and my four siblings.
First, we were moved from the private school we attended to a public one in our neighbourhood. Then, the number of times we ate daily and the quantity dropped. Paying the bills especially the house rent was not easy for my mother as well.
The second child and first son in a family of five children, I have an elder sister and three younger brothers.
My elder sister nursed the ambition of becoming a nurse and we all believed she would make a great nurse because she nursed us all.
However, shortly after her secondary school education, a suitor who promised to help her achieve her dreams came along and she got married.
Apart from the fact that the man promised to fund her higher education, my sister agreed to marry him so as to make light the burden my mother was going through. Also, she hoped to support the family financially because her husband, Nnamdi was financially stable. But when the kids started rolling in, the entire story changed forever. My sister supports us from time to time but that was not something we could bank on.
Life was so tough for us that my mother had to do odd jobs just to put food on the table. Taking care of four boys was no easy task and seeing how hard she struggled, I vowed not to let all that go in vain.
I completed my secondary school education the same time with my mates and got myself a job working at a nearby supermarket. With the little I was paid, I helped my mother take care of the family and saved part for my university education.
After working for two years, I enrolled for extramural lectures and wrote JAMB. I passed on first attempt and was offered admission to study Chemical Engineering at one of the Federal Universities in the country.
My mother paid for my tuition fees but to survive in school, I knew I had to do something to rake in funds. I had some money saved, so I decided to venture into the fairly-used clothes business, popularly known as ‘Okirika’.
I would go to the New Market at Aba very early on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays before the retailers declare the ‘Okirika’ bags open.
After picking some “grade 1” shirts which I was certain students would love, I would wash and starch them, after which I iron and package them neatly in transparent nylons. Besides cloth sale, I made some money tutoring students. In all these, I never failed to create ample time for my studies which was paramount. Most times, I studied at night and I also realised that by teaching others, I gained more intellectually.
Life in the university was not all smooth. There were ups and downs. Times when patronage was abysmally low and because my cash was tied down, I could not afford to feed or buy basic necessities. I hate to bother my mother because she had enough on her plate. It was challenging catering for my three younger brothers and me. My mother supported me but there were times she couldn’t and I had to fend for myself.
So, there were times when I did not know where my next meal was going to come from and I was faced with the temptation of doing something illegal but, I chose not to.
My joy knew no bounds the day I graduated from the University with a First Class Honours. As the best graduating student, I learnt that the chances of employing me to lecture in the school was high and that gladdened my heart.
I was posted to Benue State for my Youth Service where I taught in a secondary school like most of the Corps members. I had fun in the state because Corps members, especially teachers, were treated very nicely. I got free foodstuffs delivered to my room on a regular basis and since I was also given a free room to stay, I was able to save some of my monthly allowance.
Youth service ended quietly just as it had started and we travelled back to our respective states. But, some Corps members tarried for a while.
Back home, I went to my school to see if I stood a chance of securing a lecturing job and that was when it dawned on me that I had been building castles in the air. I was advised to enroll for my Masters to stand a better chance after which I would proceed for my PhD. And where was I supposed to get the funds from? Scholarships came to my mind and I began applying while I was hunting for jobs. To keep body and soul together, I accepted a teaching job in a secondary school and was paid a paltry N20,000, which was barely enough.
After staying at home for a little over six months without securing a better job, I decided it was time to leave my comfort zone. I travelled to Port Harcourt and had to put up with a course mate for three months. It was tough and nothing came out of it. I submitted my CV both manually and online to different companies but after several interviews, I wasn’t called to resume work.
When my friend got married, I had to look for somewhere to stay. But since I had not secured any meaningful job at that time, I decided it was best I travelled home and I did.
I stayed at home for a month and travelled to Abuja where one of the students I tutored in school accommodated me. I repeated all I did in Port Harcourt and even went the extra mile. I accepted poorly paid jobs while I prayed for a better one but it appeared my prayers were not answered because everything remained the same or even worse.
After I failed to secure a good job in five months, I felt I had overstayed my welcome and I made up my mind to go back home. I wasn’t the type who kept close friends in school but I was known in school because I tutored students and sold shirts in hostels.
Leaving Abuja, I decided to head to the land of opportunities instead. Getting to Lagos, one of my customers in school who admired me a great deal housed me. I promised to leave when I secured a job but he said I could stay as long as I wanted.
Even in Lagos, the story was not any different and before long, frustration began to set in. Many who knew how good I was in school and others who saw my impressive qualification said I must be under a spell or curse. Initially, I felt insulted by those comments but with time, I began to share the same belief with them. It was as if I was destined to suffer for long or ever. Those who I was more qualified than got great jobs and I was left with the dirty jobs. This was depressing but I still persevered.
But life became very tough and I felt like giving up, I began to see light at the end of the tunnel. Some of the top companies I applied to months earlier reached out to me. It was interviews after another and in the end; I had an array of job with mouth-watering offers to choose from and I selected the best paying one.
I have been on this job for four years now and life couldn’t be any better. My mother and siblings are all doing fine. I am working towards getting my PhD and have a support wife and lovely son. I doubt if all these would be possible if I did not persevere in the midst of the storm. The storm was heavy but I weathered it and now, I am enjoying the sunshine.
Chinwe Agbeze
