CHOOSE A FUTURE: a comprehensive part of building self_esteem.

CHOOSE A FUTURE: using this part as a comprehensive way that builds self_esteem and encourages a fully developed individual advocates me to move on, also helps me on advocacy on gender based violence. Living with my aunty who was a widow and has four children to caterer for, adding two of us, making up six was as if she transferred the lost of her husband on me or it was as if I was responsible for her husband's dead. Upon carrying out the responsibility of doing all the house choice, going to the farm, waking up at 1 a.m. start frying her puff pastry, groundnut and others to sell for her children's fees wasn't enough. She told me " I don't have money to send you to school". I told a friend of mine about it and she went and told the mother and when I explained to her she gave $1 which is 5000frs and ask me not to let her know she gave me money which I did. She gave and said take it and start a business with so you can go to school because I know you are a bright child. I started buying chicken and preparing it and selling and the profit I added other small things along side with the chicken. I use to go put them in other people's business places where I see they don't have such that I sell. I will use some to pay my fees and she didn't bother asking where the money came from. She will never support me in anything but I'll be the one working in the house day in day out. All she does was laying abuses on me asking me if I think my mum left her with anything to educate us. She made me believe that my mum left nothing before her dead. When I grow up I was doing my own investigation only to get from my uncle that when my mother died there was some money's in her account and she died in active service and she followed up her pension and was receiving the money which she was to use for our up bringing and education till am 20years of age. She took everything for herself. She sold the piece of land my mum left for us that she wants to send her son to USA which he never succeed going.

I use to work to the extent where each time am in class am always sleeping and my teachers will wake me up and ask me to go stand behind the class so that I shouldn't sleep again. But yet I'll be standing and sleeping to the extent that I was called by my class master for questioning. When I explained to him, he told me that the best he can help is that during break time I should stay in class an rest for the 45 minute break. I told him I can't because some of her puff_puff is with me in school for sell. My class master took the issue to the principal and when she was called to school, it worsened the situation. I had to bear it because I wanted shelter over my kid brother and I and food to eat because my kid brother is a sickle cell patient. There came a time where I had oil accident during frying and she didn't bother and instead she was calming is all my fault and didn't even send me to the hospital for treatment. When I was treated by a priest whom I was told by the same women who gave me money to do business that's when I had to start thinking of my tomorrow. After my healing I had to go in for an unprepared marriage where it was another hell for me.

In the marriage I was being beaten, tortured physically, emotionally, psychological etc. Suffering this torture I decided to choose a future to help my fellow women in my community.