Photo: Meet the 42-year-old woman in JSS 1

A 42-year-old woman, Mrs. Juliana Godwin, despite all odds, has returned to school and is now a JSSI student of Junior Secondary School, Gosa, Abuja.

Mrs. Godwin, is from Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State and had dropped out of school in 1983 due to lack of funds. According to her, 

“I had to leave for Jos in 1983, since my father could no longer sponsor my education to secondary school because he had no money. While I was with my cousin, I enrolled in a tailoring shop to learn  dress making. I completed it within a year and  six months. In 2003, I was able to save some money from water hawking. I started pepper and tomato business with N1,000 from the savings. I also went into corn roasting business, but my husband stopped me from the business in 2007,” she told Vanguard. 

In 2008, she decided to go into vocational training with a non-governmental organisation called Refocusing Nigerian Talents Organisation, RENITO, where she was trained in soap (liquid, medicated and bar), pomade and disinfectants production.

“Now I can produce and sell the products I was trained on, and I started with N1,500. I came to realise that the business was lucrative and helpful to me and my family. I decided to make savings towards going back to school after I dropped out in 1983. My husband was against my decision and quarrelled seriously with me. But I didn’t give up on my decision. In 2013, I went on to enrol at Junior Secondary School, Gosa, Airport Road, Abuja, where I started in JSS I F. I was able to raise N10, 000 to pay for admission expenses."

“Why I decided to start from JSSI was because I had never in my life stepped into the four walls of a secondary school. I told myself I will start from JSS I, as it will help me to have the foundation of secondary school education and to understand what I would be taught. My principal was surprised and asked me whether I could cope with secondary school education as an adult and a married woman. He and the staff also encouraged me to continue since I had made up my mind. But my husband continued making trouble to stop me”.

“I am the oldest person in the class of 80 students. I participate in every school activity, and I am happy with that. Even when I come late to school, the teachers do punish me just like other students, and I have no problem with that, but I do behave myself as an adult. I have seen great changes in my life, and I am coping seriously. My aim is to study marketing in the university after I would have completed my senior secondary education”, she added.