DISCORDANT TUNES OF POVERTY AND THE DRUMBEATS OF HOPE #ONEVOTE2014

...The clouds were grey and they did all they could to keep the rays of the sun from shining through. The wind was cold, I shivered and pulled my jacket closer around me. I was delighted when I saw my destination, I gratefully succumbed to the warmth of the interior while escaping the ferocity of the elements. It was December in London, and although there was no snow; it was still very cold for an African who was just some ‘few months old’ in Europe. I sat in the lobby of the headquarters of one of the ‘big three consulting firms’ waiting for my final interview with five other students from top universities in the world which was to start in an hour’s time. Hanging conspicuously on the wall was a map of the world; my eyes immediately made out the shape of the African continent, I remembered how rough the journey had been and the resulting indelible marks etched on my personality because there and then in Africa my story began...

Rewinding to a little over a decade from now. It was midnight; a young boy sat studying at a desk with light from a kerosene lantern because there was no electric power supply. The young boy kept glancing at the clock ticking away because he needed to sleep early, so he could commence daily chores of fetching water from a well nearby to have his bath before going to school. That young boy was me and I was studying hard so I could pass the university entrance exams to Nigeria’s best university. I was one of the lucky ‘African kids’ because I grew up in an upper middle class home and my parents who were well educated were ready to go any length to support my ambitions despite the rough economic terrain. I’ve always had very big dreams like every child but unlike every child, my dreams met opportunity and I was able to achieve a large part of my aspirations.

As I sat in the lobby that December, with my eyes still fixed on the shape of the African continent, tears welled up in my eyes as I thought of the millions of ‘African children’ with much more bigger dreams than I had who could have been sitting in that lobby with me but had no opportunity. I thought of the millions with the ‘brains of Einstein’ who would never know what they were capable of achieving, who would remain illiterate because of extreme poverty. I thought of the millions dying from HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria; I thought of the millions of African mothers burying their children before their first birthday because of inadequate healthcare; I thought about the 7 out of 10 Africans living in sub-Saharan Africa without access to electricity; I thought of the thousands of children dying every day from severe diarrhea spread through poor sanitation, unclean water and hygiene; I thought of my beloved Africa, so damn rich and ironically, yet so poor.

I made up my mind that day that I would do all I can to help beat the drums of hope as loud as I can with all my might and strength for as long as I can to help reduce extreme poverty in the world particularly in Africa. I have no doubt that someday, there would be more Africans who would have taken their seat in that lobby staring at the map of the world, and eyes fixed on the African continent, not crying but smiling because the wide chasm between Africa and the West would have been bridged.

I became a United Kingdom Youth Ambassador for the ONE Campaign in order to join over 3.5 million people beating the drums of hope aimed at eradicating poverty in the world particularly in Africa by 2030. Join and help beat that drum today at: ONE VOTE 2014

Notes for the future

Hi, it's being a while; please find below the award winning article that was published in the graduation year book of Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria. It brings tears into my eyes anytime I read through it.


We gathered as University freshmen five years ago all brimming with superfluous excitement, yet oblivious of what the future held. There were times that we wish we could cherish and hold forever, there were days we wish wouldn’t end praying that we could stay together, mistakes were made and lessons were learnt.... we started on the journey, thought it will never end.... but we meet to part and we part to meet, it’s time to say goodbye...”

Life is full of pulses of nothingness, quanta of vain pursuits and satellites of dummy
peregrinations, yet her endless energy packets of ritualistic phases we all must
observe. Ours was an assemblage never calculated, perhaps coincidental, definitely not transformable by Fourier or Laplace methods but certainly ordained by God. Elect/Elect class of 2011 (positive geniuses) initiated many discharges, some safe and some transient, yet that which our stay has started directly on line or by virtue of resistances is infinitesimal to the limitless great events which I am sure we are capable of doing albeit still housed in the cocoon of the future.

I certainly wish us all the steady state plots of life free from disturbances, ripple effects and undershoots. Life may bring problems synonymous to overvoltages but as a sage once said Life indeed is a bed of roses but remember the thorns. Thus, Sasaeniapaul beseeches thee with the signals of God that we pray for our future ‘cause we need immortal precedence. Our class is undoubtedly saturated with the best minds around and I know that the world is waiting for the unbridled treasure secured in our various destinies.

To all positive geniuses if you won’t be a great daddy don’t impregnate her; if you won’t love her till your heart reaches its elastic limit, please don’t let her loose those who would. If you won’t love him when the current and voltage of love is overcome by the capacitance effect of time then don’t fall for him or his wealth. If you will deceive those at work and manipulate standards to get results then don’t accept that appointment Pursue wealth not at the expense of a good name for the latter outlives the former.

Finally, because my hands are weary from typing.... I would say don’t be a hub, be a router, don’t be a nail, be a hammer, don’t believe in Murphy’s Law (‘If anything has the slightest opportunity of going wrong it will’). When money comes (I know it surely will), remember those humble days when you were taking lectures in Physics oven and annex; when you were carrying drawing boards for a course most of us didn’t like; remember the times when you dubbed assignments to meet deadlines and when you saw grades that were a poor reflection of your abilities; remember those gruelling hours of lectures, remember those friendly and not too friendly lecturers; remember that young boy who initiated this article. When all this comes to your mind, please be meek. My warmest regards to your kids when you start having them. God bless the class of positive genius.

©Oluwabunmi sasaeniapaul....eeg/2006/093