Last week in Nigeria, the video of Success Adebor, the little girl who was sent home because her parents couldn’t pay her school fees went viral (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6fz7BNPqsQ). The sheer sharpness of little Success attracted a lot of people. She even proclaimed herself a stubborn kid. For many, what attracted them was the fact that she was ready to be punished instead of being sent out of school. It is obvious that she loves education, and may even be among the best in her class. For some others, it was the ease with which she commanded pidgin English, with all the inflections and precision, combined with her impatient pace, that got them rolling on the floor and clicking the repeat button. In fact, at a point, the ‘invisible’ interviewer had to ask her to wait. Success was as brisk as her fluency.
However, for me, as for so many other people, what was intriguing was when she expressed hope of paying her school fees: “Eee I never pay oo, but no be say I no go pay.” She had hope! She only wished that the teachers would express a little more patience: “They go dey pursue person…” Perhaps the teachers needed to also learn how to hope just like Success.
Sometimes, we are too impatient that we lose the value of the things we get in our impatience. And when we fail to get them, we easily fall into despair and despondency. With hope we are saved from despair and we learn to appreciate the things we get. We also learn to appreciate delayed gratification.
As I learnt, little Success later returned same day to clear up her school fees which explains why she was moving very fast while being interviewed. But that was not the end of her story. Her story had gone viral within seconds. A lot of people got interested, celebrities, civil societies, NGOs, well-meaning individuals, everyone wanted to make sure that Success was never sent out of school, and that she would never be flogged for not paying her fees. In fact, Success would even say that “one day I will leave that kapok school for them.” Lols! She laughed last, and not only her, but many other kids who couldn’t pay for their fees in that same school got the attention of philanthropists who helped out. More so, the school got the attention of the government for a possible upgrading.
Do not cease to hope. It makes tomorrow meaningful and fulfilling as well. And so, I leave you with this short reflection below:
Hope
Forgive us how we’ve devalued you:
‘We live in hope’ and yet don’t hope to live,
‘Hope so’, when we have none in our hearts.
Show us who you really are:
disturb the deathly ease of our despair
and give us the courage to embrace your pain:
impudent in the face of hate,
unrelenting under oppression,
daring to resist the entropy of division.
Goad us to take up that felon’s cross
whose agony
laid empty the grave.
Alongside One Another 
This is beautiful… Simply exquisite. thanks
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Bless you Peter. Please keep sharing it!
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May God help us to keep hoping for the better.
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Amen. Thanks Kachi. Much grace!
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Very nice padre.May God help us all Amen
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You are welcome Chidinma. Stay hopeful. Please subscribe to be getting updates and keep sharing the message.
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Nice one
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Bless you dear. Please keep sharing! Stay hopeful
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Very insightful piece Fr. Keep doing what you’re doing.
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Thanks a lot Chinedu. Keep reading and sharing. Stay hopeful!
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You nailed it Paschal…
But am wondering… If she weren’t driven by the school, could this hope had paid off… No be say she no go pay oo
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Well, if you followed the story, she actually paid the school fees that same day, even though that was behind the scene before the goodwill from the public. So, she had always hoped to pay, so her expressed hope wasn’t an empty one. Thanks John for reading. Please keep sharing. And stay hopeful. Always!
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What is life without being HOPEFUL!! Great read padre!
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Thanks a lot Anita. Let’s keep being hopeful. Keep sharing the message please.
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Hope! The one vital thing in life that keeps us going.
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Thanks a lot Augusta. Yes, hope keeps us going, and may you never cease to hope. Please keep sharing this message!
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How i love her boldness and hope. She’s got such positive energy and confidence. How i wish to face life’s challenges with such confidence and bravery. She is a brave heart. Thanks Fr for this inside. keep it rolling as always.
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Thanks a lot Shella for your comment. It was indeed a positive energy, which has crumbled in so many people due to overwhelming situations that they undergo. May we all be delivered from hopelessness! Please keep sharing the message!
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Reinvigorating piece!
Probably should be saying “Thank you little Success” for making us hope again!
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Thank you very much Chinedu. Stay hopeful. Please keep sharing!
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What inspired me most was her zeal for education, if it were other kids they will be happy that they were sent home but for little success, the reverse was the case. Without reservation she explained the kind of child she is, she is intelligent, stubborn, bold, eager to learn and even hope to leave the kpako school for a better school where the dream for her academic pursuit will be actualize.
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Thanks a lot Thelma for reading and for clarifying further the message. Hope drives us especially when we are focused on the good. Well done. Stay hopeful and keep sharing please. Feel free to follow the blog and to share it with others.
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