Strength of My Mother

She was in her last year as a teenager when a soft-spoken handsome young man asked her to marry him. Full of vitality she got into the institution of marriage. At that time she was a holder of the GCE Ordinary Level certificate. With this level of education, she gained employment as a Court Clerk. With her earnings, she renovated her father’s house, filled it with good furniture and sent her siblings to school. It is true that women who are educated add a lot of value to society. With her meager earnings, my mother managed to help every member of her family who was in need.

After some working years she was eager to pursue a higher level of education. She already had her first 3 children then. Despite discouragement from my Dad, she went back to school. She studied for nine months and had her GCE Advanced level certificate. She did not end there. She went on to the university to study Law. During her first year as an undergraduate, she passed an entrance examination into a higher institution for training teachers. She chose the opportunity to become a teacher over the law profession. Today she is not confined to a kitchen like others her age but she goes out and builds the younger generation through her teaching.

My mother taught me that a woman needs to multitask. When I started having children I thought it would prevent me from getting my PhD but my mother told me that as a woman I should learn to do stuff simultaneously. She has five children but also a bubbling career.

I know that I can raise my kids well as a mother, I can be virtuous as a wife and I will still leave a legacy in my career. I also know where this strength comes from. It comes from my mother!

I called her this morning to appreciate her for how wonderful she has been and to wish her a happy mother’s day. Her voice was so full of energy and as usual, she motivated me to move forward. God bless Mrs. Nchifor Prudence Taku Tabot for being such a commendable woman. I love you Mummy…always.