Between Education and Hope (Part 3): The Call That Changed Everything When I finally picked my coordinator’s call, the first question he asked was if I had received a phone call the previous day. I said no at first but immediately he said “congratulations”, and everything came back to me. I quickly told him that yes, someone had called me and congratulated me. He then told me to prepare because on Monday, we would be going to town to collect our reward. That Monday, I wore my favorite gown well ironed. I went to school, waiting for his call. He didn’t call. Hours passed. Around 2pm, I decided to call him instead. He said there was a possibility that we might not be going again because of an upcoming protest scheduled for Thursday, 1st August. I went back home disappointed but I told myself it was fine. On Wednesday, I was supposed to have a class. I trekked to school because I didn’t want to spend transport money. My parents had sent me money, but my dad had already said he was broke, so I wanted to manage what I had till the following week. Just as I got to the entrance of the lecture hall, my phone rang. It was my coordinator. He asked if my credentials were with me. I said no. He immediately told me to go back home, get them, and meet him at the State Ministry of Works. He said he would be there in the next 30 minutes. I rushed home on a bike. I packed my credentials and added one extra shirt because the one I was wearing was looking somehow, and anything could happen. Then I headed straight to the ministry. When I arrived, I sat under a mango tree outside the office. I waited there for more than two hours. I was hungry too, because I hadn’t eaten before leaving the house. About 30 minutes later, I saw a familiar face. I asked what he was doing there, and he told me he was also going for the scholarship. I was relieved at least I wasn’t alone. We checked his credentials together and realized something was missing, so he went back home to get it. When the coordinator finally arrived, he complained about the remaining students that hadn’t shown up. After that, we entered a small cafeteria inside the ministry and ate. Later, more students joined us. Then our journey to Abuja began. Throughout the journey, I was anxious and extremely excited. I didn’t even know what to expect or what questions might come next. When we arrived in Abuja, we lodged in a hotel and bought food from roadside table sellers. That night, the coordinator told us to prepare. The next day, we would be going to the State House.

Between Education and Hope (Part 2): The Waiting Season In my last write up, I shared a summary of everything that happened during my scholarship journey. This time, I want to tell the story of what happened after the exam and how I even got there. That same night, the scholarship coordinator told me to meet him in my faculty before 8am the next day. Like a serious student and from all the advice older students usually give I believed that if you have an important program, you should always arrive early. So I got to school around 6:30am, telling myself I would revise properly before the exam. In my mind, I was already imagining a future where I could take the burden of my education off my father’s shoulders. My parents were happy too believing their daughter was about to make them proud. I waited. And waited. By 8am, nothing. By 9am, still nothing. By the time it was past 10am, hunger had set in, and hope was slowly slipping away. When the coordinator finally arrived, he didn’t say much. He spoke in bits and pieces, then handed me a paper and asked me to copy what was written on it. As I read through it, I realized the real task wasn’t copying it was answering a simple but heavy question: “Why are you the ideal candidate for this scholarship?” I dropped the paper. I told myself, I just have to be myself. I can’t remember everything I wrote, but I know I wrote honestly from my heart. When I submitted it, the coordinator told me to keep my phone on at all times because I would be receiving a call soon. This was around late February or early March. From that day on, I made sure my phone never ran out of battery. Every ring made my heart jump. But the call never came. Weeks passed. The semester ended. I gave up. I told myself, Maybe they’ve already given it to someone else. Maybe it just wasn’t my luck. Life moved on. Second semester came and it was one of the hardest periods of my life. I even forgot to write one exam. I was extremely broke and slowly sinking into depression. Things became so difficult that there was a week I didn’t eat for three straight days. On that Friday, out of pure necessity, I went to my cousin’s house to get food. While there, I received a call from a new number. The caller mentioned my full name. I wasn’t surprised but I assumed it was probably a scam. The person said, “Congratulations.” I smiled weakly. I was hungry. After eating, I completely forgot about the call. The next day Saturday I received another call. This time, it was my scholarship coordinator. That was when everything came rushing back. I immediately called my parents. They were happy. And in that moment, I realized that sometimes, hope doesn’t come when you’re strong https://image.nostr.build/62fd6f6dadc333156a2ead95965e8eaab33ad33a76924984bc666191e1e79b91.jpgit comes when you’re almost empty.

Thank you @Olaoluwa Ezekiel Michael for the call