Stories
The jaws of the panel of interviewers literally went slack as I walked in. The silence filled the university interview room and I was getting uncomfortable until one of them spoke. “You’re really smart,” said in a patronizing tone, “but you shouldn’t come here because this school is not meant for people like you. People like you would not survive...
There were about 150 Corp members packed into the room. At the time, I was the hostel governor for my hostel (Room M4) at the Magaji Dan-Yamusa Permanent Orientation Camp, Nasarawa state during my National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). It was just a few days into camp when a group of guys came around, in need of a place to stay...
This is what it feels like when home is no longer a place you can return to. In this conversation, we speak with Monica from Benue who shares what it means to carry the weight of memory, the fear of return, and the ache of belonging to a place that no longer feels safe. It’s rather sad that I can’t...
Winifred Ugwueze is the Founder of Tech Sisi, a digital agency that teaches in-demand tech skills as well as a marketing agency that offers marketing services. Three years ago, she could never have imagined getting to this point in her life. She was an auxiliary nurse with dreams to go to a medical school until the day she slumped while...
Tofunmi is a corper currently serving in the Nigeria Youth Service Corps popularly known as NYSC. She currently serves in Oshodi Local Government of Lagos State. The team at SFN reached out to interview her on her experience so far being a corper. The chief question that we needed an answer for was; is NYSC still a working scheme in...
Ayetoro is a coastal community in Ilaje, Ondo State Nigeria. Like Ayetoro, Venice, located in Northeastern Italy, is also coastal. In Venice, there are no roads, just canals. Movement happens through canoes or maybe speedboats. Beyond its urbanization, Venice is desirable for its comfort and safety. People believe that despite being surrounded by open waters, you won’t get sick visiting...
A murder happened in my village, and it led to a mass arrest. In a village like mine, you were either related to some or most of the people: uncles, neighbours, cousins, your friend’s father, and all. Everyone who had their houses or farms close to the scene of the murder got arrested. Many of them would go on to...
I was born in Zamfara, a state in Northern Nigeria, in a small Christian community where survival meant resilience. Growing up here taught me that if I wanted something, I had to fight for it. But I never imagined that one day, I would be fighting for my life. In the year 2020, the world had to fight for its...
The first time I began to understand what was going on was when I fell on the Assembly ground in Secondary School. I had had a series of recurring seizures. On getting to the hospital, the school put a call through to my parents. My parents lived in Anambra State while I schooled in Ebonyi. Scared for how I’d cope...
I was going into the prison yard when my dad called me on the phone. Instinctively I picked up the call and responded “Daddy, I’m in prison. I’ll call you back”. I didn’t think it through before I said that. I had dropped my phone at the prison entrance as we weren’t allowed to go in with phones. Coming out...
When my daughter was born, we didn’t have a normal naming ceremony. You know the kind with happy faces and congratulatory stares. There were sad faces and gloom in the air. We all knew there was a problem right after delivery. Years before, while in the United States, I had met a child with Down Syndrome. He was 4 years...
My parents kept trying to have a boy but ended up with seven girls. I am the last of the pack of seven (now six). I am fond of saying I come from a “girl’s hostel”. Back then, people would meet my parents and feel they don’t have children because they have only girls. Growing up this way comes with...