Economic Hardship

          Every day felt like a struggle for my family in Nigeria. My family often struggled just to survive. Nigeria has been facing economic hardship for quite a long time due to poor governance. The high prices of food, job instability, and inflation affected every single family in the country, including mine. I can remember when I was in grade five, at twelve years old and I had to stay home and miss school for the whole semester because my father’s salary was not enough to pay for both my brother’s and my school fees. My family felt this struggle every day. This economic hardship in Nigeria pushed my family and me to move to the United States, where we found better opportunities to restart our lives

        Moving to the United States gave my father a better job opportunity that changed my family’s life. When my family was in Nigeria, my father worked as a driver, but his salary was very low. There were times our electricity was cut off because we couldn’t pay on time. Even though life was hard, he never gave up. The United States gave my father better opportunities. In Nigeria, even though he had studied nursing he wasn’t able find a job in his career path. After moving to the United States, he was able to attend a nursing assistant training program, which helped him get a job at a hospital where he now works as a nursing assistant. He now earns enough to provide food, pay bills, and give my family a more comfortable life than when we were in Nigeria. Moving to Chicago has also given him the chance to save money and plan something for the future that he would have never been able to do when we were in Nigeria

          In addition, moving to the United States has provided me access to better education. It has given me the chance to get a better education and prepare for a good and high-paying job in the future. It has given me access to good schools and helpful teachers. I can remember when I started school in Chicago, I was struggling with my social science assignment, which was about studying some normal basic culture of the United State, and I really found it hard to understand the assignment. Instead of letting me fall behind, my teacher stayed every day after class to explain it step by step until I understood. This moment showed me how much support I have here in this country, and this motivated me to keep working hard. I can now focus on learning, gaining important skills, and prepare myself for success. Coming here has also given me the chance to be able to study law, which I have started taking classes at Harold Washington College in Chicago. Therefore, moving has allowed me to be able to work toward becoming a lawyer.

      Furthermore, there are no strict gender rules unlike in Nigeria. Living in Chicago makes me feel safe and comfortable. I can plan my life, including marriage, without worrying about danger or struggles. The laws and rules here in the United State protect everyone, and I can report crimes or unfair treatment without fear, knowing that the system will protect me. However, in Nigeria what most of the police officers want is money to take care of their families even if the money is from criminals. For examples, girls in some part of Nigeria are being married of immediately after menstruation at a very young age, and nothing is done to stop this. I also remember that I once wanted to join a chess club back in Nigeria, but people told me it wasn’t for girls. In the United State, I joined the chess club without anyone questioning my decision, and these experiences showed me how much freedom I have. I can live without strict cultural limits and can pursue my hobbies and career without facing pressure to follow traditional gender roles, which gives me confidence and independence.

       Economic hardship in Nigeria had forced my family and me to leave Nigeria, but here in The United State, my family and I found better opportunities, and I found safety and comfort also that wasn’t possible back home. It felt like a new beginning for my family. Life in Chicago is not perfect, but it is much better than before. However, I still don’t know, we might still find even more opportunities as we keep growing here in America.