Make Your Own Way

 

Make Your Own Way

 

Sometimes life tends to prove to us that we cannot amount to something if we come from a rather poor background. What does this mean? We often see our peers, who come from elite families, they have everything already prepared for them by either their parents or other relatives, and we sometimes feel intimidated or lose hope. Yes, that might feel intimidating, but we should not lose hope.

 

Have you ever asked yourself this question? How did their parents make it? Most of your friends (if not all) today, whose luxurious lifestyles you admire, living in abundance, is the result of the hard work and sacrifices their parents made a long time ago. They did not just arrive where they are today; they worked for it.

 

There is a man from my village. According to my tradition, the man is supposed to be my 'nephew'. Funny right? Of course, he is old enough to be my father, if not grandfather. His maternal grandfather is my father's sibling, so his mother is my father's daughter (not biologically though).

 

This man that we are talking about here is a banker, an Assistant Director with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), a very prestigious position, right? Why am I bringing this man up? It's because of the story behind his success. You will definitely want to hear this.

 

This is the true story my father told me about this man, La-Dajau Augustine. While this man was still a student at the well-known Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, he faced many challenges, but somehow he managed and overcame them. Every time he came back for a holiday, it was not because his father was a rich man—his father was actually very poor. There is a local food popular among the people of Plateau State, Nigeria, locally called 'esgang'—a developing stem during the early germination of a date-palm tree. It is also called 'murici' in the Hausa language.

 

First, the seed of the date-palm tree is planted during the rainy season, and then harvested around February or March. It is this esgang that his father would sell to provide food for the family, send some money to La-Dajau in school for his fees. For those of you who know esgang, you will realize that it is not a rich man's food, and you can imagine what the family must have gone through to arrive at this point—their son being the Assistant Director.

 

Nevertheless, the interesting part of the story is that he has made it through despite the odds—and you can too. The challenges that seem impossible to overcome are just proof that you have something great within you: so man up and obtain the prize. It is never easy, but it is possible!

 

Most of the people whose success you admire today started out just the same way you are starting your own journey. Every good thing comes from God, while you are working to make meaning out of your life. Do not forget to put God first, as He is the Rewarder of all men. It's like going to battle with the approval of a king: indeed, everything will fall in your favor. May the Lord be with you.

 

Do not forget to share to inspire others.

© Peter Nasarah Dashe (2025)