Fortitude: The Story of a Nigerian Girl in the UK

OTHER BOOKS BY DR AFINIKI AKANET

• Felicity

(Inspirational fiction book with poems)

• Life Without Coffee (Choosing Happiness Over Stress) -

Launch date - May 21, 2017 (available for pre-order before)

Both published by Affinity Global Enterprises (AGE) Ltd and available from:

www.afiniki.co.uk

CHAPTER 1

The flight was finally booked for Saturday! Riachat had dreamt of becoming a doctor all her life. ‘Dr Eunice Yashim’. Everyone called her Riachat at home, but her ‘school name’ was ‘Eunice’. ‘Riachat’ was the native name given to her by her grandfather, which even the extended family knew her by. She did not mind the name, but preferred to be called ‘Eunice’ by friends. Her father sometimes called her ‘Eunice’ at home, or ‘Eunice Yashim!’, which made her laugh.

Even though her parents did not seem to have the means, Riachat always told her parents that she believed that she would not study in her own country, but wished to go abroad after secondary school to study Medicine. Her parents loved her very much and wanted the best for her, but looking at their financial situation, they could not see how it was possible to sponsor their daughter through university abroad. Riachat went to one of the best schools in her state and completed secondary school just before she turned fifteen. Most of her classmates were two or more years older. Riachat had always been a bright child, which made her parents especially proud of her. Her mother would always remind her about her love for books from a young age and the fact that she began to read at the age of three! She would tell her stories of how she was always the best pupil in her class which led to Riachat getting a double promotion in primary school and was, with her primary school best friend, Bukola, the youngest in their class.

Riachat was also a very friendly, talkative child and would always be noticed by her teachers for her ‘noisemaking’ in class. She could converse well with both children and adults from an early age and loved asking questions. She and Bukola were very close friends from the start of primary school and stayed best friends until Bukola and her family moved down south after their primary school, when the girls were only eight years old. Their parents knew how close the girls were and took lots of pictures of them together in primary school, which they both treasured for a long time after. Riachat’s parents did not have a phone in their house at the time, so even though the girls missed each other, they soon lost contact. Riachat’s inquisitive mind was kept busy by her parents who always made sure she had lots of books at home to read after school. Some of her fondest memories were those of her father taking her to the National Library as a child and teaching her how to use the dictionary at a very young age.

Riachat’s father, Mr. Emmanuel Yashim, was an accountant. He was not a chartered accountant, but was well-respected in the profession. He always had time for his daughter’s many questions, but knew that there were some things she would not understand at such a young age. Emmanuel had been an orphan since early childhood and was brought up by relatives. He and his brothers had to work very hard against all odds to get an education and, considering the circumstances surrounding them, he believed he was really blessed to have obtained an accounting degree. He had worked as a civil servant ever since he graduated from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (ABU) in Kaduna State, where they lived. Emmanuel loved his family very much and raised his children the best way he knew how. He believed in discipline, respect and godliness. He did not withhold spanking when it was necessary, but was obviously more lenient with his daughters. Even though he loved mathematics, he was not keen on any of his children becoming accountants. He allowed his children freedom of speech in the home and they were encouraged to choose their own career paths as they grew older and wiser. This was a very ‘western way of living’ in the perspective of most Nigerians at the time. Children in Nigeria were told what to do and would normally keep their views to themselves so as not to seem disrespectful to their parents.

Riachat was the first of four children, but in reality, she had five siblings. Joseph, who was three years younger, was her only brother. The family was blessed two years after the birth of Joseph with twin girls – Faith and Hope. The girls were thought to be identical twins for the first few years of their lives, but later grew to be different in appearance and personality. Hope was three minutes older than Faith, and did not let her forget it! Their mother, Diane, was not keen on the Nigerian tradition of trying for another single birth after a set of twins, which would be called ‘Gambo’, so the twins together became the last born of the family. As is normal in Nigerian culture, Riachat had a few members of the extended family living in their home at any point in time. Sometimes, it was uncles, aunts, cousins or friends of relatives who stayed with them while they went to school in Kaduna or for other reasons. The ones Riachat grew to know as her brothers were Adamu and Christopher, who were actually her cousins, but were practically adopted by Emmanuel and Diane when Riachat was still very young. Christopher was much older than Riachat and the rest of the children. He came to live with the Yashims as a teenager, from which time they took responsibility for his education and needs.

Adamu was just a year older than Joseph, so they sort of became the older set of twins in the family. They went to the same school and were in the same class. Adamu was a sweet boy who was very interested in cooking. Diane taught her children that, unlike most Nigerians thought at the time, there are no male or female jobs in the home - anyone could do any chore. Being a caterer herself, there was always cooking and baking to be done, and whether consciously or unconsciously, everyone learnt how to cook. Her son, Joseph, was not very interested in cooking, but loved working on electronic devices. He could easily spend all afternoon ‘fixing’ electrical appliances that had been written off. He must have inherited this interest in electronics from his father, Emmanuel, who was a ‘Do-It-Yourself’ man. Emmanuel Yashim was the kind of man that would only call for professional help when he had already had a good go at fixing a fault himself and even then, he would learn from the mechanic, electrician, plumber, or whatever professional, so that he did not have to call them out the next time the same problem arose. Diane used to think that it was a way of saving money, until she realized it was her husband’s genuine interest and talent.

They were quite an interesting couple – Diane and Emmanuel. Diane was a very motivated and ambitious woman, who did not believe in having limitations. She married Emmanuel when she was twenty one and had Riachat one year later, while still in higher education. Emmanuel was an established accountant and had a very colourful social life in his youth. He spoilt his daughter with all the best toys and loved his wife the best way he could. No one expected the problems he would later encounter at work, which caused Diane to become the breadwinner for five years before he returned to work. Thankfully, Diane was very resourceful and quickly took their restaurant business to a higher level of productivity to meet the needs of the family. She managed the restaurant Emmanuel opened for her soon after their wedding, but was able to expand the business in the time of crisis and opened other branches in better locations. This meant that Diane had to work long hours everyday from very early in the morning. Having only one source of income affected the family significantly, especially because it was in this period that the twin girls were born. Diane and Emmanuel struggled to keep their children in private school and made sure they never went hungry. This period of their lives was very significant in Riachat’s life, because it was then that she realized how much faith her parents had in her.

When things became very difficult financially, Adamu, Joseph, Hope and Faith had to be withdrawn from private school and were enrolled in a state school where they completed their primary education. This decision was not easy for Emmanuel and Diane because the state schools were not of a very good standard at the time and most people sent their children to private school for a better education. Even worse for the Yashims, they believed strongly in giving their children the best education because they thought that that was a legacy worth more than a financial inheritance. They could barely afford to pay Riachat’s fees in private school, but made the sacrifice, because they believed so much in her high academic potential. This motivated Riachat so much and she continued to perform excellently throughout secondary school.

Even though Riachat’s siblings were brought back to private school for their secondary education when things got better for the Yashims, the several school transfers had already affected them negatively. The effect was most noticeable in the academic performance of the twins, who struggled more than their siblings academically. The boys, Joseph and Adamu, soon picked up pace in the final years of secondary school and graduated with excellent results. Despite their high hopes for their children’s future, Emmanuel could still not imagine how his daughter could achieve her dream of becoming a doctor in a developed country. Riachat was very passionate about her dreams, she could not shut up about becoming a doctor, but because of the very high cost of studying in the UK, Emmanuel feared he might have to explain to his daughter one day that it would not be possible.

Riachat applied to study Medicine at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) where her father and uncles studied. She was very optimistic about ABU, but knew deep down in her heart that despite the expenses, God would make a way for her to go and study abroad. At the time, most Nigerians applied for university believing that you had to be very lucky to get admission to study your chosen course. The universities could either refuse to offer students admission or admit them into some other course they did not choose. No one understood exactly how that worked, because the system did not seem to go by students grades at application. Some high scoring students would be admitted into less desirable courses, while others who seemed to have ‘connections’ and pulled some strings got into the professional courses. This made people wonder about the level of corruption in the university admission system in Nigeria.

Riachat got her admission into ABU, but not for Medicine! She was offered a place on the Chemistry course, which she was not happy with. At this point, she found out through ‘Uncle Sam’ about the Universities and Colleges Application System (UCAS) for applying to UK universities. She originally wanted to study in America, probably because of all the American films on television, but was willing to take this opportunity to study in another developed country. This ‘uncle’ was actually Mr Samuel Atta, her cousin’s husband and a fellow church member, who had also done business in the past with her mother and became a family friend. Uncle Sam was pleased with Riachat’s Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) results and encouraged her parents to allow her to complete the UCAS application form which he brought for her. Riachat gladly filled the form, applying to four UK medical schools and sent it back through Uncle Sam, who at the time visited the UK often on business. He even paid the cost of the application himself! Riachat’s parents were very touched that he would do that, but he wanted to help because he had a UK bank account and was able to pay by cheque.

Go and start at ABU, my dear, her father said while we wait for the outcome of your UK application.

Riachat, who was enjoying time off school after her six month Diploma in Computing course, was not too happy with the suggestion because she did not fancy studying Chemistry at degree level, even though she liked it in secondary school.

Daddy, UCAS will soon send their reply, so we need to be thinking of how we can get the tuition fees for me to study in England.

After much persuasion, Riachat went with her father to register at ABU for the course. It was not actually as bad as she thought, probably because she was with her father.

At least you will have experience of Nigerian university life, so that you will really appreciate the difference when you go to study in the UK. Her father said by faith, smiling, after she had registered for all her first semester modules.

CHAPTER 2

Riachat went home with her father and wondered what being a university student would be like. She had heard lots of opinions from her cousins and friends but felt unsure of what to believe. As she packed her luggage with her mother’s help, she drew comfort from the fact that she would be staying at her uncle’s house (with familiar people) initially. Diane also wondered at this time if Riachat was too young to be starting university, at barely sixteen years old. She told herself it was the right thing to do because the girl had been so fast in her academic progression, and slowing her down would dampen her motivation. She was proud of her daughter and imagined all evening how her young daughter would achieve so much more than she ever did.

Riachat’s uncle, Mr. Paul Yashim, was a very educated man who was a senior lecturer at the university. Even though he was her father’s elder brother, Riachat thought they were very different. Sarah, Paul’s only daughter, was one of Riachat’s favourite cousins. Riachat looked forward to seeing her because Sarah was a pleasant person, like her mother, who was also a godly woman and well-loved by the students at the university. Riachat also knew that some other members of the extended family were staying at her uncle’s house, mostly because they were also university students needing term-time accommodation. She looked forward to meeting them and was glad to have people to show her around the campus.

Shall we? Emmanuel said, as he walked toward the car intending to drive his daughter to university. He was certain she would be fine, but wondered if she would have to graduate from ABU in Zaria or if her admission into a UK university would come through. This same thought crossed his mind as he watched her pack her clothes the night before.

Sarah and her mother were the only ones at home when Riachat arrived. They welcomed her nicely and told her she would share a room with Sarah and Michaela, who was Sarah’s maternal cousin. Emmanuel talked with the girls in the house until his brother, Paul arrived in the evening. They did not have long to talk because Emmanuel had to get back home that evening and did not want to travel late. The girls chatted for a bit longer but had an early night so that they could wake up early for church the next morning. Sarah and her mum were well known at the church because they helped out a lot. Riachat really enjoyed the meeting - it reminded her of her home church. She thought of her pastors and friends at Rhema Church in Kaduna, who all wished her well and prayed for her. She said a silent prayer for them at the end of the meeting as she glanced at the clock, guessing they would still be listening to the sermon in Kaduna by now.

Sunday went really quickly as the afternoon was spent cooking a traditional Bajju meal with her aunty. Sunday evening was spent getting to know the other young people better. Michaela was not a university student but had just finished an apprenticeship with a dressmaker. She even promised to make Riachat a dress. Sarah’s brothers were both older than Riachat and lived on campus. It was always good to see them when they came home. Riachat specially enjoyed talking to Joshua, who was her second cousin. They had never really talked before now and she found him to be really funny. She only remembered seeing him a few times before then at their grandfather’s house at Christmas. At the end of every year, the Yashims always went to their grandfather’s house, which was in a small town called Madakiya in the southern part of Kaduna State, to celebrate Christmas. Uncles, aunties and cousins would come from different states, and sometimes from abroad, for the yearly reunion. The children especially looked forward to Christmas so they could see each other again.

I was there last year – you were wearing a white lace outfit on Christmas day, weren’t you? Joshua said to Riachat.

Riachat remembered the white ‘buba’ that she wore last Christmas, but did not remember seeing Joshua. It was not too surprising, because the extended family was actually very large - there was no way she could have known all her cousins. Besides, Joshua was her father’s cousin’s son, which meant he was not a first cousin or a Yashim, so it was less likely for her to have met him at grandpa’s house. Riachat had so many smart clothes, but hardly ever got any traditional clothes made for her or her siblings. Last year, they all insisted on wearing something traditional and that is why her mother got her the white lace attire. It was actually a Yoruba style, which is now widely worn in the Northern part of Nigeria. You had to have new clothes to wear on Christmas day as a Nigerian child, and Riachat always knew exactly what she wanted to wear. Her love for fashion started long before puberty. She also loved posing for pictures.

The first day of lectures was not too bad. Riachat quickly made friends with three girls whom she always sat with. One of them was Elsie, who went to primary school with Riachat in Kaduna. They were reunited in computer school eight months ago and were glad when they found out they would be going to the same university. They both loved reading novels and enjoyed talking together about the future. Riachat also met her secondary school friend, Zainab, in ABU, but they did not have the same lectures since Zainab was on a different course. Most of the time spent with Zainab was in the hostel where she lived with her elder sister, who was studying medicine.

So Eunice, how is Sam? Elsie asked Riachat after lectures. Some of her friends did not even know that her middle name was ‘Riachat’, but Sam sometimes called her that after he had spent time with her at her family home after completing their computer course.

He’s gone to Bauchi now, he must have told you that he got accepted for the engineering course at the university there, right? Riachat said proudly.

He did, actually. Did you see him again after Wednesday?

No, but he called me yesterday. He’s settling well - I’ll tell him you asked after him.

Riachat missed Samaila. They had become very close during the six months of computer school. Riachat and Samaila went together to visit Elsie the previous Wednesday. Everyone called him Sam, but Riachat preferred to call him by the Hausa version (Samaila), which was actually his given name.

In those days, most Nigerian students went to learn computing skills after secondary school, while waiting to start university. Riachat actually looked forward to going to computer school, but somehow ended up starting a few weeks late. She was so glad to see Elsie on her first day there. Elsie immediately recognized her from their primary school days, so Riachat sat with Elsie, who introduced her to a few people in the class. Two of the students turned out to be Riachat’s cousins (Joanne and Kasham)! Joanne was the outgoing type and was quite popular in the class. She proudly introduced Riachat as her cousin and that was how Riachat and Samaila met. Kasham was a quiet person, but got along well with Samaila, who was a funny and interesting guy, so Riachat, Samaila and Kasham always walked to the bus stop together after classes to catch different buses home. Samaila taught Riachat most of what she missed from the first few computer classes and they worked very well together, sitting next to each other during practicals.

Hmm Nisi, I wish you were going to study Engineering at university too, so we could work together afterwards. Samaila said to Riachat one Friday after a programming class.

While everyone called her ‘Eunice’ at school, Sam preferred to call her ‘Nisi’, which she actually liked. He also wrote her name as ‘ENC’ since, she imagined, he was probably too lazy to write things in full. One of the things she found funny about him!

You know how much I want to become a doctor, but you are right, we work well together. She smiled.

So what are you doing tomorrow? I might come and see you at home.

I should be home in the afternoon. Please, don’t forget to bring that kids’ video you talked about. I’m taking the kids for recording at the studio in the morning.

Riachat loved her Good News Club kids. She started leading the childrens’ Bible study group at her house after her Pastor’s wife moved away with her family and could no longer have the meeting at her house on Sunday afternoons for the neighbourhood children. Riachat found it challenging at first, but soon grew to love teaching the children Bible stories every weekend with support from her mother. She then started to write childrens’ songs which she taught to some of the kids and decided later that they would record, so that children elsewhere could sing them too. Riachat’s father, who eventually paid for the studio time, could not believe at first that they were actually his daughter’s songs! Both her parents were very supportive of her work and helped out a lot during the recording. They actually motivated the parents of the other children, who were mostly neighbours, to support the work by allowing their children to come for frequent practice.

Samaila was a bit unsure that Riachat and the children would be successful with their music, especially because she was not a good singer herself! But he was sure that Riachat was a smart and determined person, who definitely had a bright future ahead of her. Their relationship grew stronger during computer school, but they decided to stay as ‘best friends’ since Riachat was not ready to have a ‘boyfriend’. Samaila and Riachat were also leaders of the Fellowship of Christian Students (FCS) at their computer school, and were very proud of the send-off party they organized for the senior students. After working and studying together closely for the last few months, they felt really sad to be going to different universities. Samaila felt even worse when Riachat told him of her plans to study abroad, but it did not affect how he felt about her. He visited her at her parent’s house everyday after computer school before she went to ABU and called her every evening at her uncle’s house after that. Riachat was also very close to her mother, who she spoke to every evening while at ABU.

CHAPTER 3

After the first week of lectures, Riachat was happy to go home for the weekend. She packed her weekend bag and took it with her to the Friday lectures so that she could just get on the bus home from campus. It was around 5pm when she got home. Everyone was so happy to see her, but she was most surprised by the reaction of her cat, Sylvia, who evidently missed her a lot too.

What have you been doing to my baby? Riachat asked, laughing, as she walked through the front door.

Sylvia was now known in the family as ‘Riachat’s baby’ because of how much she spoilt her ever since she was a kitten. The cat was actually given to Riachat by Samaila a few weeks after they met, when he realized she loved cats, and had just lost the family cat. Riachat always sat with Sylvia on the sofa and made sure she ate the nicest things. She even let the cat sleep on her bed, which Riachat’s mum was not very happy about! Riachat shared the girls’ room with her twin sisters and any other female relatives that were staying in the house at any point in time. The government-owned bungalow had one other room for the boys apart from the master bedroom, where the parents slept. All the children were born and brought up in this house, except for Riachat who was born in Katsina. There were so many happy memories in this house, but it was beginning to look old. The Yashims hoped to move to a bigger, better house when they could afford it.

Riachat went straight to her parents’ room, where Emmanuel and Diane were watching television with the air-conditioner on, since Emmanuel hated the heat, despite living in Nigeria all his life. She went on and on telling them about her experiences of the first week in Zaria. She told them about the mean lecturers, the nice ones, the friendly students and the very friendly university boys. Riachat described the library and lecture theatres, the hostel rooms and the poor facilities. She told them of how bad the electricity supply was and how students used candles and lamps to study at night. Diane, who was more interested in her daughter’s health, asked about food on campus before Riachat started describing the restaurants and snack shops that were provided for students. Riachat, who was always worried about the hygiene at cheap snack shops, was not a big fan of eating on campus. She usually had a bottled drink between lectures and ate her main meals at her uncle’s house when she got back. She would sometimes skip meals if she did not like what was cooked for the family, but would not complain. Knowing how fussy Riachat could be about food, Diane suggested that she took some provisions with her so that she could have something to eat every night even if she skipped the family meal.

So, any news from UCAS? Riachat asked, after all the conversation about ABU.

Emmanuel brought out some letters and explained to his daughter that she had received rejections from all the medical schools because she did not have ‘A’ level qualifications, which were a prerequisite for undergraduate medical studies in the UK. As he watched Riachat’s face sadden, he quickly added that Uncle Sam had introduced him to an organization in Nigeria that helped secondary school leavers get admission into UK colleges to study for their ‘A’ level qualifications before applying to university. Her mum added that Riachat would be expected to spend one year in college before starting university and that this was the normal system in England.

That’s okay, then. So when can I apply for college? Do they start in September as well? Riachat asked with an expectant facial expression, which made her father wish he had all the answers.

Eunice, we can go and see Uncle Sam tomorrow evening to discuss our next move. He says the organization is based in Lagos, but we can communicate with their agent on phone and email until they get you your admission, my dear. Emmanuel replied.

The next day at Uncle Sam’s house, Riachat listened carefully as he explained the UK educational system and how you had to have ‘A’ level qualifications to study Medicine, since it was such a competitive course. Students applying for most other courses could just do a foundation year before starting their degree.

The college admission is not as complicated as university admission and should not take too long. The agent looked at your results last time I was in Lagos and said he could get your acceptance letter to us within the next few weeks. Here’s a copy of the college prospectus he gave to me. He said, as he handed Riachat the prospectus for Hughes college.

After further chatting with Riachat’s parents about business and family, Uncle Sam and his wife saw them off. Riachat could not wait to get home and read through the prospectus. It looked very attractive, with beautiful pictures of the college and students on a blue background as the cover page. The pages were of high quality and the students looked very happy, Riachat thought. She just could not wait to get there! It was in a city called Leicester.

Hmm, check out the college building, daddy. Look at how nice the rooms are. They have so many international students - it must be a good college. Riachat said, after reading the prospectus for the second time. Her mum smiled as she noticed how Riachat’s eyes twinkled as she talked of studying abroad. They offer GCSE and foundation courses, apart from ‘A’ levels. I will choose Physics, Chemistry and Biology so that I am sure of my admission into medical school after the course. Looks like it is one room per student, unlike at ABU! At least, I’ll be able to concentrate on my work and get the best grades, God willing, and maybe even a scholarship so you don’t have to pay for my medical studies. She continued.

Her father was so sure of Riachat’s academic ability, he believed his daughter could get the best grades in her class even if she was thrown straight into university now! He wished he had more money so that he could help her reach her highest potential academically.

The weekend went by so quickly. Riachat found herself getting on the bus to Zaria on Sunday afternoon. She tried to remember what exactly she did on Saturday evening but could not think of anything in particular. This was not a surprise, because evenings at the Yashims were usually full of laughter and fun. To his family, Emmanuel was a funny man and loved spending time at home. The family usually just sat together in the living room watching TV (if there was electric power!) and talked till bed time. The power company (called NEPA at the time) had always been very unreliable. You could go a whole day without electricity, or they could be ‘good’ and let people have ‘light’ all day except for a few hours. People always told stories of how it was even worse in other areas outside Riachat’s neighbourhood, where people in the city could go for months without power supply! It was just one of those things for most people, but Riachat always thought that Nigeria could be better for her generation. She actually enjoyed the quality family time they had when there was a black-out. Her family would sit together in front of the house and tell funny stories, interrupted by Please God, let them bring back the ‘light’ prayers, especially when the mosquitoes were getting unbearable. They sometimes had to even say what they called ‘prayers of agreement’ for NEPA to bring back the ‘light’.

Riachat’s thoughts went to the sermon she heard at church earlier. She remembered how the Pastor spoke so confidently on ‘Prevailing faith’. It was about how Faith is