The Lemonade Relief

 The lack of chairs for students to sit on in our primary and secondary schools is not an excuse for lack of vision or poor performance. It is true that, what we see in schools these days are: uncompleted buildings, rooms without asbestos, no sufficient tables, students sitting on windows and the floor, students many times walk about aimlessly around due to an overcrowded classroom. Teachers that are not motivated because they feel they are not well paid. Things just seem not to be in place. Then I thought of the ‘Lemonade Relief’.

Once upon a time, I felt like drinking an Orange juice but all I had around me was lemon not even an Orange. I felt terrible because of my great thirst for an orange juice. Blessed are the great thinkers. If you can think, you will conquer your world. I started playing around the lemon till I got to the critical point where I realized I can make lemonade from those lemons. What a relief!

This I will say of most of the challenging situation in which we find ourselves, there is always a way out only if we can think and implement. I asked my students why they have a dirty environment. There response was that nothing is beautiful about their classrooms. These students can tap into the lemonade relief by ensuring their old and unattractive classrooms are clean at all times, creating a conducive environment for themselves, which is actually a thing of the mind. If government cannot provide a whiteboard, they should make the most of the chalkboard they have by darkening the board, to help not only their teachers in writing smoothly but to see clearly without straining their eyes.

The MDGs goal two, ‘Universal Basic Education’, where are we? The aim is that by 2015, every child on the street should be in school and that every individual that exist should at least have a minimum of a primary school leaving certificate. In my own view, we are getting there. There is a great probability that Nigeria can achieve the goal of universal basic education. The awareness is massive, there are schools everywhere, even if the quality is not what is expected, we should always remember the ‘Lemonade Relief’. There are Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and churches that offer education aid especially at the primary school level. Youths of different qualification and expertise have come together to assist teachers in teachers in teaching and improving the quality of education given at the primary school level. I know of the covenant education aid here in Lagos whereby education experts are gathered with the sole aim of teaching the pupils in the primary school how to read and write effectively which is key. The foundation on reading matters and this will go a long way with their academics even in the tertiary institution.

Though we still have a low percentage of ignorant parents, who deny their children to enjoy the free education or subsidized education. As the awareness continues, their percentage reduces. There is that understanding that poverty can deprive a child of attaining education, while education is a means of eliminating or alleviating poverty. The will should be there on the part of the parents to encourage their children to school and stand by them through school. People complain they do not get quality education from the government. The lemonade Relief will enable us change the mentality and make do with what we have.

Universal basic education will go a long way to help I achieving other goals of the MDGs aimed at solving the economics problems especially in the third world countries. Education will help alleviate poverty. Education brings about confidence and good thinking ability resulting in creative ideas. Good ideas rule the world. Education will make any system work. Knowledgeable leaders in government, community, home, etc. will encourage the education of the younger generation because they know the value. Also, education brings about gender equality. It brings out the best in women and confidence to say no to suppression. Good education enables the men folk to understand the essence and know the worth of a woman.

More so, education makes the health system function well.  Education leads to having well experienced doctors and other health workers who can adequately give medical advice. Thereby reducing infant mortality and cases of mismanagement in the labour ward will be at its minimum. In fact, when there are qualified hands , people will have the confidence to go to hospitals and health centers without fear of having the wrong prescription or an expired injection. Education brings about improved maternal health. Pregnant women will know the need for ante-natal and post-natal care.

Education is simply invaluable. Sex education in school has reduced the rate of teenage pregnancy. Teenage girls are more focused and their male counterparts can now see the big picture and work towards having an excellent future. HIV, AIDS, Malaria,etc. campaign is vibrant. People are no more ignorant. Superstitions are disappearing and people are gradually coming to the reality that malaria kills infants and adults, the superstition of ‘still born’ or ‘Abiku’ is dying. ‘Going and coming of the Abiku’ is no more the slogan but ‘Use treated mosquito net to combat malaria’, ‘Zip up’, ‘Sex is worth waiting for’,etc. The need for immunization to fight against the killer diseases is emphasized; genotype and blood group awareness is vibrant. Education is doing wonders in making this world a better place.

In conclusion, education is the best legacy that can be passed on to generations born and unborn. Quality education will solve the world problems. The lemonade relief will make education work, no matter how insufficient the resources may appear. We can always make the best of every challenging situation. Quality education can only be achieved when all hands are on deck. While the government is doing her part, the students are not left out in maximizing every opportunity that they have. The parents/guardian must contribute their own quota to make it work. Only if we can go the extra mile, if teachers can work like it is their calling, teaching with all the passion, only if students will count education as a great privilege, if everyone will see the fulfillment/success which is the end product of chastisement or challenges, if only people know that there is no shame in tears, if everyone can see the satisfaction that comes with hard-earned money, if everyone will admit there mistake and consider constructive criticism, then education will work for us as a nation. We will cease to have educated fellows that display barbaric style of life. The lemonade relief will make education work more than we can imagine.