My Encounter With Alif

My Encounter With Alif

leemon By  October 1, 2022 0 527
I can’t forget the year 2016 making it over 5 years I left secondary school… Obviously the dream of going to the university was there but the possibility was far out of sight. Trying to do one job or another to survive . My father had long exited this earth in a motor accident. And that was the beginning of our struggle and hardship. We fed from hand to mouth.. Just trusting God for the future.
Then, that fateful day, along Ujoelen road, Ekpoma, I met a man by the road side who asked me to help him lift a deep freezer from the road to the second floor of a story building- an office complex he said. Looking at the quiet road and considering my safety if I should follow him up there considering the security situation of our nation. I had the option of saying ” sorry sir I am in a hurry” ( of course I was), but on a second thought, I considered it an opportunity to be of help to someone in need of one. We lifted the freezer to the storey building, and then discussion ensued.
‘What is your name?’, he asked me..”Meshach”, I replied. ” What do you do now”?, He asked again. Frankly, I told him the situation of my life in a minute and the struggle I was into. He asked me again” have you written JAMB? The answer was yes, with an additional “AAU has given me admissions but no finance to pursue it”.
It was then he broke the news to me that that office complex is actually a foundation that runs scholarship scheme and other programs, that the name is AGBONJAGWE LEEMON IKPEA FOUNDATION- ALIF. And that his name is Mr Difference Irabor, the Director of the foundation.
I was instructed to write an application letter for a scholarship, which I submitted that same day, oh! this type of opportunity does not require any delay at all. Oh yes.
After sometime, I was invited to write the qualifying exam, God be the glory, I passed. Next was an award meeting where I was told that the foundation has awarded me a FREE SCHOLARSHIP TILL I GRADUATE FROM THE UNIVERSITY…My God! I could not believe my eyes..but that was true. When I broke the news , every one in my family shouted, ” Meshach, so finally you will go to school” they said. Five years have passed ( because of COVID 19 and ASUU strike) and I have graduated from the faculty of Education, Ambrose Alli University.
This foundation ALIF, paid my school fees from year one till final year.
My special thanks and a million gratitude to the angel that was standing by the road side with a freezer, Mr Difference Irabor , who became the channel to seeing that my dream was actualized..sir, I can’t thank you enough and I’m greatly indebted to you..God bless and keep you for me and many you have helped too. you could have simply said thank you, or given me some naira notes to appreciate my kindness to you, but no, you decided to help me by connecting me to this life- changing opportunity. Thank you sir.
To Chief LEEMON IKPEA, I don’t have words enough to express my gratitude and prayers for you..but the truth is that you HAVE WIPED MY FAMILY’S LONG TIME TEARS BY THIS SCHOLARSHIP AND THROUGH THIS FOUNDATION-ALIF.. God bless you richly and keep you in sound health and longer life sir.. thank you a billion times sir.
To many who are also hopeless and helpless like I was, as touching going through the university, ALIF is God’s solution and answer to our generation, give a trial and smile later. God bless.
From a grateful heart,
Olikagu, Meshach Chika

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