Beneath the Burden: How One Girl Defied Her Fate and Changed Her World

I was only four years old when my world shattered. 

My parents’ separation marked the beginning of a painful journey that most wouldn’t dare imagine. I was just a little girl, but the weight of life’s cruelties was about to fall squarely on my fragile shoulders. 

As if that was not enough, I was handed over to a family as a house help- a fate so many African girl children suffer, traded under the guise of "communal kindness."

In many African homes, this was viewed as preparation for womanhood. No one ever questioned the physical strain or emotional toll on the child. No one cared whether my foster parents have the capacity to nurture me. For them, it was just about duties. But for the young me, it was the start of an endless nightmare.

In my "new home," the little me was subjected to hard labour and a barrage of verbal and physical abuse. I carried burdens no child should bear, toiling endlessly, with no respite. I considered suicide a lot of times. My innocent mind learned quickly that pain, fear, and loneliness would be my only companions.

But, was that even the end?

Just when I thought I had escaped, another trial awaited me. Returned to my family, I was handed over again, this time to a family in another city. It was here that my life nearly ended before it truly began. At nine, I narrowly escaped the clutches of a pedophile. On my way to a night school where I was enrolled in; a night school that was actually meant for adult learners. One day, on my way to this night school, I nearly met death itself in the hands of ritualists. The streets were dark, unforgiving, and full of dangers no child should face.

 But hey!  Did I survive ? Oh yes! I did. I was terribly scarred but alive.

My fragile world crumbled once more when my father fell ill not long after I returned to be with my family the second time. He was rushed to a low income hospital. Again, I was pulled from schooling and sent along with him to the hospital. With no proper medical care available, he passed away in the end, leaving me at the tender age of 13 and my siblings to to fend for ourselves. Forced to drop out of senior secondary school again, I became a salesgirl, struggling to raise money to sit WAEC exams. 

Life was cruel, but I had made a decision. I wasn’t going to give up. 

I am an Embodiment of Encouragement, I kept reminding myself, clinging to a dream that seemed distant. I vowed to live a life that others could draw strength from, despite my shattered beginnings.

My journey through university was far from easy. As an undergraduate, I juggled jobs, started businesses, and even hawked snacks just to make ends meet. I hawked until I saved some money for my Masters studies. Thinking of furthering my studies at this time, was economically risky; to say the least. Every day was a battle, but I fought with the resilience of someone who knew pain intimately. My heart was scarred, but my spirit was indomitable.

Amidst fears and scary uncertainty, I turned my pain into purpose by founding Innovative Minds Vision Africa (IMVA)"- a platform that not only provides academic support for young people but also preached perseverance and the power of education. With meager resources from my home lessons for children, I funded capacity-building outreaches and symposia through IMVA. These development programmes led to the training the minds and empowering the hands of over 31 thousand young Nigerian women to be able to employ themselves and others through solving problems with skills and approaches that meet global standards. 

Being a suicide survivor myself, in 2019, I found new purpose when I began leading IMVA to collaborate with international organizations to campaign against suicide among university students- a campaign that impacted over 4 thousand undergraduate students. The very same hands of mine that had once been bruised and battered were now lifting others up from the brink of despair.

We've also collaborated with local and international partners to train young women from various African countries on STEM, mobile apps development, digital skills and more.

Today, I’m a PhD student with academic records that can best be described as Distinction. I have authored and co-authored 5 books and other local and international publications, including Lessons in Groundbreaking by Girlotherapy & Nspired4Life Women’s Empowerment Network, USA- a book project celebrating 16 amazing women globally who forged their way to success, despite challenges, and lots more. 

In 2021, my journey of transformation led me to found The IDEA Moment with Rachael Academy- an EdTech platform that would transform the futures of thousands of children across Africa. My childhood, marked by gender-based violence, abuse, and loss, had ignited a fire in me to rewrite the stories of other children like I was. Through my academy, I champion Child Online Safety, and self-development for children aged 6 to 18, helping them to use the internet very safely, productively and responsibly as well as break free from any kind of internet addiction.

This revolutionary innovation of mine, the Cyber Intelligence Skills Bundle remains a beacon of hope in a world where the internet could easily ensnare the innocent. I knew all too well the dangers lurking in dark corners and was determined to equip children to navigate the digital world safely.

We provide African children and young adults mentoring and training programmes, that promote SDGs 4 & 8 by helping them experience a unique blend of self development and cyber intelligence education, skills empowerment for entrepreneurial purposes and help them position for local and international opportunities.

Since the inception of The IDEA Moment with Rachael Academy, my team and I have leveraged radio, TV and digital technology to train over 36 thousand Nigerian children and those from other parts of Africa on Cyber Intelligence Skills Education and more.

From hawking snacks to being celebrated internationally for my tenacity and vision, I had come full circle. I had turned my trials into triumphs, my scars into stories, and my pain into purpose. Every tear I shed had watered the seeds of resilience in my heart, growing into a legacy of hope and empowerment for generations to come.

And now, to the young woman standing at the edge of despair, I say: Invest in yourself. Your story is not over yet. It’s just beginning. Bear in mind that every great destiny is polished by obstacles and trials. Therefore, expect obstacles ahead of time but keep hope alive. That tough situation will soon become a story and that story will sell you to the world.