My name is Ugwu Lucy Ijeoma. I am from Amhe Iheaka. My father’s name is Ugwu Joseph, and my mother’s name is Ugwu Mary. I am in JSS 1 in St. Catherine’s Comprehensive Secondary School Nsukka. I am 15 years old and finished primary school at Christ the King Primary School in Umuogene Ovoko, where the school fees paid each term were N300.00. There are five of us in our family, and I am in the second position.
After my sixth primary, my mother told me that I should put down my pen so that if my sister managed to finish secondary school, then she would know if I could go further or not. After that suggestion, I said to myself it better for me to starve than to stop schooling, and I was also ready to suffer, provided that I was schooling.
After 3rd term of my primary six, our headmaster told me to go and get the form for a scholarship, which would be shameful to me. Then he forced me to get the scholarship form, and I used my money to get the form without my parents knowing what was happening. After all, I told my parents about it, and they supported me. After taking the exams, I was interviewed by four intelligent Priests. Later, the results came out, and I was selected to be among the scholarships. Praise be to God.
One day, after I had been introduced to the church, a woman told our Parish Priest that my mother didn’t used to attend the Christian mothers’ meetings while her daughter was now going to be trained with the church’s support. After her comment, our Rev. laughed at her and told her that was not the reason why I should not be trained.
Even the woman knows that my mother is the provost of that meeting. Then, we just regarded it as a miscreant. Also, all our relations were uncomfortable with me, and they started slandering me, saying that my parents were robbers. We just put everything in prayer. Fortunately, I entered the school without any hindrance; then we made the devil and evil ones to be ashamed.
Finally, I will use this opportunity to thank you all for your help. There is nothing I can do except to remember you in my prayer so that the Almighty God will bless you and bless your ways, reward you, protect you from all evils, and give you everlasting life in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Thanks be to God
Ugwu Lucy Ijeoma.
