A new future beckons on hair-stylist trainee

19-year-old Bashirat Usman, a hair-stylisttrainee, who once lived a dejected life due to poor family background, can now heave a sigh of relief as a new ray of hope has beckoned on her. MOJEED ALABI writes

Her once cherished ambition of becoming a lecturer in future was almost dashed following her poor family background, which compelled her to take to hairdressing as a career.

That was the story of 19-yearold Bashirat Usman, who, today has become a happy girl, as a new ray hope and brighter future have beaconed on her.

The event of November 14, 2016, will ever remain indelible in the memory of the once brilliant Basirat Usman, who poverty had almost shattered her dream.

Now, she has been awarded a scholarship for her university education in any federal university in any part of the country. That was the day a Good Samaritan and Founder of Yomi Otubela Foundation, Otunba Yomi Otubela, offered her a new lease of life, which is set to change her for better.

On this day, a short ceremony was organised in her honour by the foundation having been touched by an earlier report in New Telegraph newspaper of March 24, this year, entitled: “From best student to hair stylist- trainee,” which narrates the struggles of Bashirat to attain her dream.

The Foundation had requested for Bashirat’s contact from the newspapers, with the sole purpose of subjecting her academic strength to test, hoping to offer her scholarship and rekindle her once forlorn hope.

Otubela, who is the Proprietor of Lagooz Schools, Lagos, and Deputy National President of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), said he was impressed by the performance of a girl, who had left school for more than two years, in both the competence and aptitude tests conducted for her.

He explained that Bashirat’s performance had dazed both the teachers, who conducted the tests and members of the Foundation, and decided to rekindle her seemingly lost hope by taking over Bashirat’s sponsorship by obtaining her the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) form, and foot all necessary bills upon her admission into any federal university in any part of the country.

Otubela said: “It is the culture of our Foundation to seek to help the poor especially in the area of education.

And this year, we also extended the opportunity to two children in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp.

“We had even concluded the process for that one this year when the pathetic, but inspiring case of Bashirat Usman was brought to our notice.

We looked at the Foundation’s purse and we felt one of the best ways to end this year was to make this innocent girl happy again.

“You can imagine a very brilliant daughter with good Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) results being compelled to become a hairdresser simply because of poverty.

And, when she was tested academically, we were convinced that whatever we invest on her will be to the benefit of humanity, and that is what this Foundation stands for.

It is our belief that the little we can offer at our own corner will go a long way in raising a generation of good future leaders.” According to Otubela, the new scholarship offered Bashirat, will take care of money for her UTME form, tuition, text books, accommodation and feeding while in school.

“We also hope to set up a small shop for her in line of her vocational skill while in school in order to augment her needs and also keep her focused in the line with her beauty business.

We must ensure that whatever she learnt as a stylist is also put into practice, as it may be what will throw her to global scene in future,” added the Publicity Secretary of the Foundation, Miss Oluwatosin Oke.

The visibly elated Bashirat, who was accompanied by her mother, Mrs. Fausat Usman, to the Lagooz School, where she was handed the scholarship documents, said she was overwhelmed by joy.

While promising not to disappoint her benefactors, Bashirat commended New Telegraph for beaming its searchlight on her, saying since her story was featured in the paper, her story has never remained the same.

Bashirat said; “I could remember that Friday when the journalist came to look for me in Ota, I was very reluctant to attend to him because I had thought I was only being mocked. But I summoned courage and narrated my ordeal.

After the report, fortune has continued to smile on me. My only prayer is that may God Almighty reward you abundantly.” Earlier, another Good Samaritan based in London, United Kingdom, who had read Bashirat’s story online, had approached New Telegraph volunteering to help in his own little way.

The man, who had craved anonymity, said he was unhappy that many brilliant Nigerian children in similar shoes have been allowed to waste away, and within a short time, he had paid N30,000 to Bashirat’s family to augment their accommodation fees, having been served quit notice by their landlord.

He told New Telegraph on phon: “I have tried to secure the contact of the writer of the report from Facebook and I thank God I could get you. I feel sad when I read reports like this from Nigeria.

What you have done is simply in the class of charity in the United Kingdom (UK), and I hope many people can see this and intervene.

“It is quite unfortunate that many Nigerians who looted the treasury do not even consider investing in things like this,” while also expressing his willingness to contribute to Bashirat’s education.

Meanwhile, another Nigerian, who is based in the Republic of Ireland, had also expressed his readiness to support the campaign to return Bashirat to school.

He said: “Whatever we do is not for publicity, but we shall try to make our contribution.” There are also others like Emmanuel Abimbola and Godfrey Metuanghan, who have promised to support Bashirat’s educational pursuit.

In her response to the scholarship, Bashirat’s mother, who was overjoyed, thanked the Foundation profusely, pledging her continued guidance for her daughter, who she noted had remained dutiful and responsible despite the parents’ inability to fund her education.