If you’re to look through my previous posts, you would notice that I am not a writer who takes pleasure in writing out my deepest pains, I would rather like to discuss about my happy moments and experiences. Well this post is going to be a little bit different, as I have spent most of my past few days with a bitter heart and I have been made to accept a reality I never wished for. But at the end of it all, I found a new purpose, something that might eventually supersede what I initially planned for.

picture taken with my phone (iPhone 7+)

Without keeping you in the dark for long. Five years ago, when I gained an admission into the university, I made a plan of what I would have achieved and where I would be in the next 10 years. In a brief it went like this :-

• Graduate after 5 years. 2022 (I offer a five year course)

• Serve for a year (NYSC) 2023

• Get a temporary job that would raise some capitals for my personal business. 2024, and that should last for about 5 to 10 years before fully going into my business(s).

• Get married 3 to 4 years after I have gotten my first paid job, that would be 2027 or 2028, and I would have been 30 to 31 years old by then…. After that life continues.

Easy to plan ehnn? I never knew life had a way of interfering in people’s plans. It was all going as planned, I had a good grade, avoided activities that could destroy or delay my graduation in school, and so on, until the year 2020 came along.

It all started with COVID-19 lock down, and lasted for about 7 months over here. Within the 7 months. (ASUU) The Academic Staff Union of Universities decided to go on a strike based on some issues of payments that the government has failed to make for more than a decade. So after the pandemic ended, federal and government universities remained closed and students remained at home till the third month in 2021, adding an unforeseen year to my 10 years plan.

The issue of overdue payment wasn’t sorted but (ASUU) decided to call the strike off anyways, and things continued as they were meant to be from March 2021 till March 2022 when (ASUU) made another decision to go on an indefinite strike, stating that schools would remain closed till they are being settled fully by the government, and to be sincere only God knows when. The strike has lasted for 4 months, and the government are yet to make any attempt to address the issue.

My pain throughout the ongoing 4 months of strike

Ever felt like being on a stand still for about 2 years academically?. It has been so frustrating to see how a 5 years course has grown into 7 years, and hopefully it doesn’t exits that. Seeing people who gained admission into private universities 2 year after me preparing for their final papers while I do not even know when I would resume school. It’s so so annoying, some times I feel like screaming.

A new purpose

The most interesting thing about living is that, no matter where life places you, if you would really look around, you would find a new hope, a new opportunity and a new purpose. After watching year 2020 go to a complete waste doing practically nothing at home from COVID-19 to ASUU strike, I decided not to stay at home this year, since academics has gone on hold again. So I thought of learning a vocation, something that would keep me engaged and earn me money that I can live on even if schooling seizes to continue.

picture taken with my phone (iPhone 7+)

I started to learn fashion design, although from a tailor’s shop. It is a local setting but my boss makes good wears both English and native wears for Men. My first few months were so exhausting because I was the newbie at the workplace with some seniors before me, and I was made to run petty errands along side wish made me very exhausted by the time work is over. I was left with no strength to read through posts on hive, not to talk of creating my own posts, although I had a whole lot to talk about resulting from my new experiences.

I couldn’t cope bringing Hive and my daily activities together, so I had to sacrifice one for one at least for the main time till I get my feet established. As I kept learning how to sew, I started it to see so many opportunities in the industry and how well I could brand myself when I am finally done learning. This gave me a new purpose and a new plan.

In conclusion

Over these past 4 months of strike and of training, I have been able to :-

• Learn how to sew native wears perfectly and I am also learning how to sew English wears.

OUTFIT SEWED BY ME

• I but a sewing machine of my own to keep practicing at home, this is one of the best steps taken since I started learning

• I also have a junior now, so I don’t have to run the petty errands again, this has given me more time to read through posts during free time at work and has also prevented me from being too exhausted after work is over for the day.

Now I am getting a balance gradually and I am so happy for the step I had made to find a new purpose even at this dark hour rather than sitting at home all day and watching my days being wasted one after the other, sinking myself in sorrowful thoughts.

Special thanks to my friends here on Hive who has always checked up on me, asked after me and made mention of me during my absent days here. I would like to make a mention of @marvinix @samsmith1971 @iskafan @timmypat and @funshee most importantly. May God grant your efforts with success.