The Countdown has Begun ... on my Birthday!

The Countdown has begun … on my Birthday!
On Monday, August 2, 2010, Mrs. Ebere Obiocha reported at my ancestral home, Osusu, to assume duties, as the first ever headmistress of the Chiehika Aliche Memorial Nursery School. The nursery school is part of the Chiehika Aliche Memorial Early Education Center (CAMEEC). The nursery school is opening its gates, this September. Incidentally, August 2 is also my birthday! When I reflect on this coincidence, I’m thrilled because Chiehika Aliche happened to be my father, a very good father at that! The realization that honoring him and his memory with something that can make a difference in the lives of others is becoming a reality even makes me more elated. And, when I thought of how best to honor his memory, I couldn’t think of anything better than giving people, particularly children, the opportunity to avail themselves of functional, affordable education, something that my dad worked hard to do and something that made me who I am, today!
My dad had us when he was already old and paying our school fees was a herculean task. He did not benefit from any formal western education, but for what he picked up in night adult school. He did not, therefore, have job skills. He had to live off his machete, doing all kinds of menial jobs to fend for the family, and particularly to send us to school. More than anyone that I knew, he was determined that we went to school, all six of us! By dint of hard work, he saw us all through the equivalent of the sixth grade, two through high school and me through college. Not that he paid my way through college. In fact, he died in my first year in college – The University of Lagos, Nigeria, in 1984. I actually stopped school after the sixth grade, stayed home for two years and started off in what was called a “commercial school,” a form of high school that was not in the public school system. It took a government free education program, in 1975, to get me back to the public school system and eventually to college.
Going by the stories that he told us and the evidence that he provided, my dad had been interested in supporting children get formal education, long before he had us, his children! He was an early believer in girl education and, in our own extended family, my dad had sponsored two girls to school before we were born. One of these is still living today. In our village, I know a few men who have shared their stories of how my dad chipped in small but fundamental assistance while they struggled to go to school. My dad also told me stories of how he helped a few people from outside our village gain admission into our local primary school, many years ago when Osusu had the only school with what was called “Standard Six” class in the neighborhood. So, against this backdrop, it was not difficult for me to determine that education was a good area to invest, in efforts to give my father what he would have liked to see, should he be living! As someone who had his first job as a teacher, it was also not difficult for me to determine that I’ll have the most impact if I invested in early childhood education, hence CAMEEC!!
Now, back to Mrs. Obiocha and CAMEEC! Mrs. Obiocha trained as a Grade Two teacher before earning the Nigerian Certificate of Education (NCE) in 1991. She retired recently from Nigeria’s public school system, as an assistant headmistress. At the CAMEEC nursery school, she will be in charge. I’ve interviewed her several times and have had extended discussions with her on issues of policy and strategy; I’m confident that she can give the school the leadership that it requires. She’ll be joined by another NCE holder next month to care for the first batch of three-year-olds in the nursery school. So, the countdown has begun, in efforts to build a center of excellence in early childhood education and development. So, far, CAMEEC has been built, essentially, on the resources that I’ve provided. I’m grateful to a few donors who have contributed to this effort. If you would like to help with a donation or get more information about CAMEEC and its nursery school and other programs, go to www.alichechildcenter-ngr.org.
Azubike Aliche