Attaining your dreams is very important and to make your dreams a reality, you might be ready to do anything – even things that might put your life or health at risk.

However, one step at a time, and one day at a time, you can accomplish any goal you set for yourself in a safe way. Chika’s story demonstrates this.

An alumna of Orisun college of hospitality, Chika wanted to be the very best version of  herself.  She wanted a good life, and she has always wanted to be a nurse to take care of others. She was also interested in good food, dancing, having fun with her friends, and making others happy because she gets her happiness from others.

Like many young girls, she wrote exams to get into university to study nursing with the hopes of one day becoming a nurse.  However, she did not manage to get into school as she intended. Like many others, she had to write the popular university entrance exam (JAMB) more than once.  It was really frustrating to buy the form more than once, especially when  her mates and peers had already gotten into school and she remained at home doing nothing different.  Thoughts popped up in mind, and she thought of trying out something else and leaving the country because she felt that Nigeria was the problem. The thoughts of leaving in themselves were not bad but the consequences of leaving Nigeria through a dangerous pathway scared Chika.  She knew that there were always other opportunities open that would not rob her of her personal dignity as a human being.

Chika knew that delay is not denial. If one thing does not work, there are other options and measures that can be taken to achieve her long term goals.  Every human being is inclined to more than one thing and these other things can also be used to reach this aspiration .

In Chika’s case, she wanted and still wants to be a nurse, but she also  likes good food and making people happy. As her decision to become a nurse was not going as she planned, she decided to do something else.  She enrolled in Orisun, a hospitality school where she could learn more about her passion and acquire some other skills alongside meeting new people with whom she learnt and enjoyed the course with. In Orisun, a vocational school of hospitality in Ibadan, hospitality skills can be acquired, and students receive a certificate in hospitality operations after completion of the program.  In the school, the girls’ cultural, human, and spiritual formations are taken care of. After taking the course in Orisun, Chika acquired the skills of a chef, a receptionist, and a bartender. It was not what she wanted at first, but it was something she liked that helped her pass time, increased her knowledge in something she likes, and provided her a source of income as she works as a chef in a centre in Lagos. She still intends to be a nurse in the near future, but she encourages people to attain relevant skills instead of travelling searching for greener pastures in some other place where the grass seems greener. She emphasised that nothing good comes easy, and that even if you intend to go abroad, it is good to travel via the right means. Chika also shares that you will adjust to your new environment even easier if you have skills and work experience to support yourself.

Just like Chika, you can push through uneasy feelings and find success where you are.  You have to persevere in your work to maximize your potential. In order to follow in Chika’s footsteps, you can access training where you are!  You may even be able to take advantage of the  scholarships that are available in the vocational schools and skill acquisition centres near you. Work study is also another option to be able to pay the fees for the training in situations where funding is insufficient.

To learn more about accessing training, visit the Women’s Board website.

Author: Kosi Nwezeh