Daniel Epih

When I was 5 years old, I wanted to start primary school with the other children a year early. After enduring days of me crying every morning, my Mum decided to register me at school. I finished primary school and passed my entrance exam to grammar school. We could not afford to pay the fees and all the other expenses. So, Mum asked me what I wanted to do. I told her that if we could not afford the fees, I could learn how to fix cars. She took me to the garage to register me as an apprentice and they asked for a registration fee as high as the school fees. So she decided she would rather pay the school fees. We went back home and she took some of her jewellery and clothes, sold them, paid my fees and I started school. Six years later I got my grades and was offered admission into two universities. One was to study Mathematics and the other Business Administration and Management. If I chose to study Maths at the federal university, it would be cheaper as I would pay almost nothing. I knew though that that was not my calling and told Mum I would rather study Business Administration and Management. I can still see the tears running down her face as she explained to me, ‘But you know we cannot afford it’. There were no student loans to cover the costs of tuition, accommodation and books for the four years at university. She looked at me and assured me that God would do it and I graduated from university four years later. 

I would not be here today if it were not for my Mum’s courage and support. A heartfelt ‘thank you’ to all the mums out there who make dreams come true!