My Friday Encounter
A Friday it was on this day last year 2017 and I thought to share an encounter I had on that fateful day.
I was in a gathering when I saw this boy who was hawking pepper and okro, stop to sell okro. I dashed out to purchase some pepper and as my custom was, I engaged him in a discussion having already bought pepper from him.
I: well done
Boy: thank you ma
I: what class are you?
Boy: SS1
I: (considering his small stature) that's good! Science, Art or Commercial Department?
Boy: Commercial
I: nice one. Why did you choose Commercial Department?
Boy: Nothing
I: (surprised) how do you mean nothing? Who asked you to choose Commercial Department?
Boy: nobody. I just chose it.
I: okay. So what do you want to become in future?
Boy: I don't know.
I: there are so many things you can do and become in life being a commercial student. All you need do is be diligent and focus well on your studies.
Boy: okay ma.
I: have you eaten this afternoon? (Twas some minutes after 3 then)
Boy: (reluctantly) no
I: why?
Boy: my mum said it's after I've made sales that I'd eat.
The rest is history.
Do you know the number of children out there like this boy who do not have any idea what to make of their lives when they become adults neither do they have a clue as to what the future holds for them?
You meet some children whose parents and may be teachers or schools right from primary school, monitor and observe their interests, hobbies, talents, abilities, and then consider all these in guiding such children to making informed career decisions early enough in life. When you meet such children, they speak with so much confidence about their perception of what the future holds for them.
For some others, their parents are not so educated but they are opportune to meet the right people early enough in life who guide and counsel them in making the right decisions for their lives.
I fall into this last category. Early enough in secondary school, different youth groups came to my secondary school to tell us about various things ranging from sex education to teenage pregnancy, chastity, to making the most of life, making informed career choices and a whole lot more other topics.
Those seminars helped me. When the time came to choose the department to belong to, I was honest with myself to choose Arts not because I wouldn't excel in the sciences but because I knew I wasn't wired for the sciences. Due to my love for mathematics and my outstanding performance in Mathematics as well as in Biology, Agric, Further maths, and all of my subjects as an Art student in the first term of SS1, some of my teachers sent for my parents and some others wrote to them that I would make a brilliant Science Student and that my parents should see to it that I crossed over to the sciences.
Since it was my choice to be an Art Student, my parents respected my choice, supported me and didn't dance to the tune of some of my teachers then.
May be the boy I met today hasn't had the kind of opportunity I had to meet the people I met when I was about his age.
My heart goes out to the young impressionable minds out there and I can only pray that the right counsel comes their way early enough so they can make the right career and life choices.
To serving youth corps members and teachers in secondary schools, please maximise your stay in those schools. Don't be like every other corps member and/or teacher. Go the extra mile. Beyond your 45 - 60 minutes in class, create time for these ones. For those in public schools especially, these children need you. Don't fail this generation by not making your impact felt.
I cannot talk about my love for Mathematics without referencing Corper ND, who taught me Mathematics in school and Mr Gani, my lesson teacher at DICECO. I was an average student in Mathematics from JSS 1-3 until I met these duo in SS1. Their impacts birthed a thirst for Mathematics in me and that spiraled into my interest in every other subject I offered. I, who once hated Mathematics with passion, ended up becoming an addict who needed to solve some Mathematics questions to stay awake at night to study other subjects.
For those who have a passion to reach out to these young impressionable minds, please don't give up. Don't stop putting together the seminars. These young ones need all the mentorship they can get. Lailai Gifty Akita said:
Every great achiever is inspired by a great mentor.
To you reaching out to these young ones, don't ever think you aren't making impact because you don't seem to get immediate results. You're sowing seeds into the lives of these ones.
Please, reach out to the young ones in your neighborhood. When you meet these children hawking items, don't just buy what they are hawking and walk away. Reach out to them. Sow seeds into them. Leave a message with them.
Just plant the seeds
Someone else will water.
God will give the increase.
I originally shared this encounter here
Thank you for taking out time to read this post.