Thread by @blessingdesiyan

Exactly twenty years ago, I was hopeless. I had just failed JAMB after my third try. I was sitting on this tattered chair in the small bedroom I shared with my five younger siblings. Here, I decided I was going to go after my dreams of studying in America. #nigeria #usa

In the second picture, exactly 14 years ago today, my father who started this journey to ensure his child studied in one of the most renowned universities in the world saw it to the end.

I graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Florida, a top 5 public university, after four years of studying and interning four times at Fortune 100 companies.

If you’ve ever doubted that God exist, my testimony is your answer. What God cannot do does not exist, and we are walking examples of answered prayers of our parents. We don’t talk enough about our Fathers, their dreams for us, their relentless prayers, and undoubted sacrifices.

My father had encouraged me to pick up the SAT forms after he overheard his very rich friend talking to his daughter lovingly on the phone in Maryland USA.

He called me up on my way to bed one night. I was carrying my every the mat I spread every night in the church where I’ve slept now for six years & said Blessing, Pastor Ola’s daughter is in America studying, stop wasting your life away at Tantalizer selling meat pie & chicken.

I shrugged rebelliously like I always do. My dad have started with his epistle. Daddy, you don’t even have a $ to your name, and you are talking about America? He smiled, my God will provide. I saw it in my dreams, I saw men and women of all races receiving instructions from you.

I saw lots of books in a big house like a library, the house belonged to you.

Ah Daddy. Okay, no problem. I will think about it.

No, I hear the place is called MET, you can go there tomorrow. He is 500 naira for your transportation.

That 500 Naira changed my life.

I went to MET, an SAT preparatory school where I ended up studying for the SAT, and passing in flying colors.

My father didn’t have a dollar to his name, remember?

So it was all a dream right?

We need to talk more about our Nigerian parents who despite the shackles of colonialism, the harsh conditions of military and civilian regimes; they did all that they could with the little that they had to give us a future of abundance and wealth.

Many of our parents sold everything they had for us, many borrowed money, traveled with the last kobo they had to far places to pull on favors for us. I want us to talk about them, they are worth celebrating.

Our parents are legends.