Some days are like that when you really want to make the day for someone. Most times, these are chance meeting. It was same experienced when Austyne Duru walked through and saw her homeless.
Austyne, a member of FUTO Alumni Association Lagos Chapter, narrates this experience to myalumni magazine.
Here goes his story
Nigerian Politicians take pleasure in destroying the livelihood of the poor. I wish to place a curse on them and their generation but I won’t. Let’s the poor and vulnerable use their voter’s card wisely during elections.
Homeless Joy?
At about 2.30pm today, 11 August 2020, while driving into at a makeshift parking lot at Sandfill area of Victoria Island Lagos. I met this young lady named Joy. She smiled as my car tyres rolled close to her spot under a small tree. I could sense her thoughts as the tree provided shade for her. My instinct reacted as I could tell that Joy is HOMELESS and in need of help.
So I called out to Joy, “please come young lady, what are you doing there?” I said in a friendly voice. She responded. “I have been homeless since January when my shop and home was destroyed over there”. Joy pointing to the spot where a permanent parking lot is being built for a new Shopping Mall. The name of the Mall is Queens Park or so. To my surprise, Joy’s Nigerian accent had a clear and flowing queen’s English. This is in addition to French, Spanish, and German languages that she learnt while schooling in Togo.
Joy, what happened? I asked.
“Sir, first of all, good afternoon and thank you for speaking to me. Because you gave me hope of living beyond this hour”, she said.
Joy narrated her story of how her soldier father died while she was a child. She also lost her mother afterwards. Joy knows that her hometown is in Osun state but she doen’t know the place. Her extended family lives in Togo but she doesn’t have any means to contact them. The lockdown also prevented her from travelling across the border.
She said to me, “sir, I have not eaten for days and nobody around wants to help me. I am a victim of circumstance and I don’t mind doing any work to survive. I thought I would be dead by this time”, she concluded. To her surprise, I summoned her close for a brotherly hug and ushered hope to the despair. I said to her, “we will survive”. Tears rolled down her eyes as she tried to wipe it with her hands. The appreciation was overwhelming.
I don’t fail to say that I am an Ajegunle boy who knows how the poor suffers. Afterwards, I brought out N1,000 and gave to Joy. She went straight on her knees. but I pulled her up. The money is to help her buy food, pay to take her bath, and buy toiletries. As well, she can buy a SIM card. I handed her my spare Nokia (palasa) phone so she can be reached or reach others. I also gave her my NSE-VI Internal Auditor card. She promised to call me upon getting a SIM card.
Joy is 25 years old. She is ready to work as a house maid, cleaner, hairdresser (her acquired skill), and any other job other than prostitution.
If you wish to assist Joy, she is under a small tree near QUEENS Park Shopping Mall at Sandfill, Victoria Island Lagos State. There are many more Joys out there. Here number is 07038863117.
Then I thought
As I drove off from that car park, THIS IS HOW NIGERIA KILLS HER CITIZENS ONE AFTER THE OTHER. It’s a reflection that justifies my usual appellation of FAILED STATE on the Nigerian nation.
Nigeria! Flourished, FAILED, Fixing.
