Looking Back 6 Years Ago.. // August 2014 to July 2015 NYSC, The Unforgettable Experiences by @patience90

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Introduction

Some things in life are best experienced than told which was why when NYSC programme was over hyped, I conditioned my mind to also experience it.
So after my graduation in 2012, the whole of of our set were delayed from going for 1 year mandatory service to our fatherland.
Trust University of Jos with that bad attitude but thank God the first batch of our set was released for batch B 2014-2015 service year.
Hello fellow steemians, you are welcome to my blog at this hour.

Pasting Of List On The Notice Board

My first experience about NYSC started right from when the names of the successful candidates were pasted on the school notice board and my name was misspelled.
Instead of Jacob Patience Akwash, they wrote Jacob Patience Akinash
Wow! Immediately my friend saw it hence we were already at home and she lives with her parents who were both lecturers in my school.
So it was easy for her to check on time and as you all know, NYSC wasn't digital as of 2014.
So she helped me with the correction and other necessary things.

Call-up Letter

Within 2 weeks of the correction, our call-up letters were ready and boom!
I quickly got ready and rushed to school to get my letter.
While some of my mates were happy, some were sad with the state they were posted to but I kept hope alive and conditioned my mind to accept whatever comes my way even when someone tried to influence my posting to Taraba state because the state gives 10,000 monthly stipends to their corps members but I told him not to bother.
So immediately my name was mentioned, I quickly collected and checked my name to be sure of the correction over spelling errors and then the state I was posted.
Lo and behold, I was posted to Wamakko Camp, Sokoto state.
Immediately, we that were posted to Sokoto state began making arrangements on our movement because camping starts in less than 2 weeks and all of us have never been to Sokoto state before.
So after making arrangements to meet in Zaria road Jos, a day before the camp hence it's a 12 hours journey so we could rest before all the army wahala.

Preparation For Camp

So that very day after collecting my call-up letter, I went home straight and the next Sunday morning, I was in the second hand (OK) market to get my white shorts and t-shirts because I was told we would be given only 2 pairs each and because my camp was in August, I didn't want to take chances.

Our Journey To Wamakko Camp

On the agreed day, we all gathered and boarded a sharon bus since we were just 7.
I bought 10 bottles of 150cl swan bottle water, enough gala and meat to sustain me on the way just like everyone of us did.
We met a lot of military check points on our way and whenever we were asked who are you guys, we will joyfully say we are federal government pikins and they will playfully salute us and ask us to be good.
We didn't encounter any trouble and we rested only once in Katsina state on our way.

Life In The Camp

Reaching the camp, I was impressed with the infrastructure and there were a lot of corpers who had already came from long distance hence they didn't want to come late.
So we were shown a temporary room to pass the night till registration began in the morning.
After keeping our things safe, we visited the Mami market to buy buckets, sponge, hangers, clips and other necessary things we didn't bring from home.

Registration/Parade/Social Activities

The following day which was 5th August 2014 was when camp was opened and thank God I successfully registered, got all my 7/7, accommodation, mattress and when I tried my khaki, the women in the store shouted "otondo" because according to them, it wasn't fitted on me but I wasn't too bothered because I can shape it at the Mami but the military men came to send everyone who has been given khaki out to the parade ground.

Reaching the parade ground after changing into white shorts and t-shirt, I was immediately picked for the quarter guard after just one parade. Chaiiiii
I was a sentry of the quarter guard from the beginning of the camp till the last day
Thereby, parading for any guest who came to the NYSC camp before they proceeded inside.

Sometimes, I join the general parade with my fellow platoon 3 corpers when there is no guest in the camp to welcome.
We also did "man or war" which was fun and thank God there was no record of injury from my platoon.
I must admit that I enjoyed morning jogging and all the crazy songs we sang.
There was a volleyball competition which I didn't partake because I don't have the idea but they all thought I could because of my height and stamina.
Miss NYSC and Mr Macho was another social activity I managed to attend for 30 minutes because I love sleeping therefore, I don't go out once it's 7:00 pm, I made sure I got my dinner and buy my meat from the Mami and retire to my corner.

Kitchen Experience

Every day, a platoon is picked up to join the cooks in the kitchen and I didn't allow that excitement passed me by and thank God there was no guest in the camp that day so my full attention from morning till night except when I went to freshened up was in the kitchen.
We made tea, bread and boiled eggs for breakfast, jollof Rice and fried fish for lunch and Agidi with soup plus beef for dinner.
Kitchen Experiences was amazing because we all got along with each other and I ate a lot of fish after sharing for everyone who came for lunch.

Nigerian Christian Corpers Fellowship

That was an amazing place to be where we praised and worshiped God without the interruption of military to go for parade.
I can't forget the NCCF anthem

NCCF we are one big happy family, every tribe and tongue, and denomination, let's be a blessing to our fatherland and humanity, let's serve the Lord as one in the days of our youth.

Service Proper

After a successful 3 weeks camp, I was posted to Government Girls Arabic Secondary School (G.GASS) Isa, Isa Local Government Area of Sokoto state.
Our bus delayed a while before coming to convey us to our place of primary assignment (PPA) after all the Isa corpers gathered but it eventually came and it was a journey of about 4 hours from the camp to our PPA.
I was so exhausted and we were welcomed by our senior colleague who cooked for us, made water available for our bath and rooms were assigned to us.
Though I didn't stay in my school lodge, but I'm glad I got one in Government Secondary School (GSS) Isa.
We were taken to the local government secretariat for verification, bank for account opening and our various schools to know the admin staff.
After all those, I traveled back to Nasarawa to enable me prepare well for the journey ahead.

After I returned, a class of JSS 2 was assigned to me as a teacher of English and I must say it was difficult at first because most of the students don't understand English language and I don't understand their Hausa accent so communication was different for few weeks before I began to master their accent since I also understand Hausa language to an extent.

I was a little bit favoured than some of the corpers because of my little understanding of Hausa language especially in terms of buying from the market.
My little understanding also pushed me into having acquaintance with the local government chairman who trusted me and thank God I didn't disappoint.

During that period, I was elected as NCCF bible study secretary, vice president of Drug Free Club (NDLEA-DFC) and PRO of corpers welfare organisation and I delivered well by God's grace.

DFC members on our way out for drug sanitization

Life In The Lodge

We lived like brothers and sisters though there were quarrels and fights among some but I had no time for that because nobody was worth my energy.
I loved and respected everyone according to their levels and till today, I'm in contact with all my fellow batch B, some of the batch A and C members.

After some months, I was given a roommate who was a batch C member who was Yoruba and from a muslim background.
But yet, there was never a fight or misunderstanding between us.
We respected each other and lived in peace before I left her on July 2nd 2015.

2015 General Election

As we all know, the general election which brought in the present government was conducted by my set of corpers and I took part of it even though some corpers were scared and ran to their villages.
Well, it was a very nice Experience aside the pay though it wasn't easy.

Apart from the national allowances of 19,800 naira, my state also pays monthly allowance of 7, 000 naira and 4, 000 naira local government allowance. Wow!
Is it good.
I also engaged in the polio program as an independent monitor who goes from one location to the other within the local government to take records of children that were vaccinated and get paid at the end of the month.
The excercise last for only 3 days a month.
That's also needs Hausa speaking and I did well.
I wasn't someone who likes wearing native clothes but I had to learn to wear them during polio outreach to enable the locals give me attention.

There was a day I wore a gown to my PPA and I became the center of attention because non of my students has ever seen me on any other wears aside trousers and most of them don't even see me on Sunday when I go to church.
Yes did I mention that it was a muslim society?
Oh yes and there was only one church (ECWA) in the whole of the Local Government Area where we worshiped.

POP day

Photos Splash

CDS things

PPA/Polio outing

Conclusion

There were a lot of Experiences that space and time won't let me mention but these were the major ones.

Cc: @steemalive

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@patience90