From tragedy to excellence. Vol 3

Dear readers am back again, the story continues like this,

I was very brilliant in school and examination was approaching, however shortly before the examination day, i took ill in the school, my class teacher had to rush me to the hospital and quickly informed the school principal and my grandmother. My grandmother got confused and rushed to check how i was feeling. On reaching the hospital she found me semi-concious , i could hear her intent prayers from my semi-conciousness, i was diagnosed of malaria fever. I was given medication and was asked to remain in the hospital for some time before going home. I spent two days before i was discharged. My Grandmother stood by throughout my stay. My principal and his wife also visited me in the hospital. It was my first time falling seriously ill. We began our examination on Monday and finished on Friday that same week. The following week the school closed for the long vacation. I came out the best student in our class and my grandmother was highly elated. She rewarded me with new clothes. All my friends in school talked about the places they intend to spend their holiday, but for me i can't move away from a day from Grandma, that's why she didn't enroll me in boarding school. It's unimaginable to stay away from Grandma. One of my friends asked where i intend to spend my holiday, i told her no place like home, most of them would end up Hawking goods for their relatives, my grandmother once mentioned about child abuse to her friend. I over heard them and counselled my friend about it. I have little knowledge about child abuse and my friend needed me to tell her more, she became so interested in the topic because of my proficiency. It's wrong to engage a child to labour inorder to fend for the family. Unknown to me our class teacher over heard all i was telling my friend, the next day our teacher invited me to the class podium to discuss about child abuse. I was shocked and shy, i have never face the class to talk, i know i always answer questions from my the comfort of my seat, but not now that i have to leave my security zone to the class frontage. My teacher thought the topic is very important most especially now that we're going on holidays. I complied as requested by the teacher. The little delay helped me to muster confidence, and i very well explained to the class child abuse, child labour and child trafficking. The teacher was highly impressed and urged the entire class to applaud me. The following day which was the day students assemble for the principal's address, the principal also talked about the same topic , chid abuse and child trafficking. She mentioned that we can help our parents with with domestic chores, but never in anyway are we supposed to be subjected to street Hawking as that will expose us to road hazards. The principal also attached a letter to our report sheets on chid abuse and labour and also fixed a date on parents and teachers meeting where the topic will be discussed before the holidays commences. A topic i initiated with a friend is now raging the entire community like a wild fire. Through the parents, teachers meeting, the radio stations also aired a program on it, the news papers were also not left behind. The Government had to enact a law prohibiting child's abuse and labour. The Ministry of education organized an inter schools debate through out the state on the topic. I was chosen from my school as one of the two students to represent it, i happened to be the lead speaker , I didn't fail to acknowledge the fact that my grandmother, my custodian initiated the discussion with her friend. My class teacher grilled us on the topic thoroughly. Good time was spent to train us on composure, gesture, etiquette, use of English during debate and time consciousness management among others.

Our school was on conquering spree we got to the final stage of the competition. The national television located my grandmother and invited her to a phone in programme on child abuse and child labour, it was the greatest day of her life, a milestone indeed. Her husband, my maternal grandfather whom i have never met before flew in from United kingdom where he works with United Nations to give support to his wife. My late mother was his first child and he became very fond of me at first sight. He hid hid feelings about my mother's death. I later got to know he was a trained military strategist and war specialist. I took him to be my father, at that tender age,I could still not comprehend on issues like that. Grandma and Grandpa were busy preparing for Grandma's appearance on television on child Abuse and child labour and i was busy preparing for another round of debate on the same topic. Grandpa was coopted yo appear with Grandma on the television programme. According to the programme director, Grandpas contributions to the discussion will be very Germain because of his knowledge on child-soldiers in war ravaged parts of the world where children of school age were being conscripted into the military to Carry weapons of war. I was with them at home during all the stages of their discussions and i picked some salient points that would further strengthen our points to defeat our opponents in the inter schools debate competition. My being with them is no more regarded as eavesdropping, i had become an active participant in the discussion. Infact grandpa said that preventing me from taking part in the discussion constitutes an act of child Abuse that is punishable in the United kingdom. Readers catch you up in the next vol.