Looking at this picture brings back a flood of memories. The little girl sitting outside, barefoot, bending over her books on a small stool, surrounded by sand. Her concentration, her determination, and that quiet struggle to learn despite the discomfot touched something deep inside me and I decided to write about it.
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There was a time I didn’t have that same determination as the girl in the picture. In fact, there was a day I refused to go to school not because I was sick but because I didn't do my homework.
It happened after a long, frustrating night. I had homework to do ,a lot of it l, but I was playing in my mum's shop when I came back from school with the excuse that the environment was not conducive for and I told myself I will do it after dinner. But just as I sat down after dinner, the lights went off,Power outage 🙆. Everything went dark.🤦 I remember staring at my open books, the words fading in the shadows, and that hopeless feeling creeping in.
I waited, thinking the electricity would return soon. It didn’t. I tried to use a touch light but my eyesight couldn't take it,my eyes were heavy. I gave up after a while and went to bed, promising myself I will wake up early to finish it but I slept and forgot my promise😂
Morning came, and guilt hit me like a wave. I hadn’t done the homework🙆🙆. My mind was filled with all sorts of thoughts, how my teacher would be angry, how my classmates would laugh, how I will have to stand there trying to explain why I didn’t do it and I was very shy then, I felt ashamed. Instead of getting ready, I told my mom I wasn’t going to school.
Instead of shouting like a typical African woman that she is, She looked at me quietly for a moment then said something I will never forget:
“So you’ll let darkness stop your light?”
At first, I didn’t even understand what she meant. But she sat beside me and said, “Education isn’t about everything being perfect. Sometimes it’s just about showing up, even when it’s hard.”
Those words got to me.
That day, I saw what education really meant. It wasn’t just about neat books, neat uniforms or working lights. it was about effort, courage, and the will to keep learning no matter what stands in your way.
Since then Whenever I see a child studying under difficult conditions, like the girl in this picture, it reminds me of that version of myself — the one who almost gave up because things weren’t convenient. She’s sitting on rough tiles, her feet in the sand, her papers spread all around her, yet her focus is strong. No complaints. No excuses. Just a child hungry to learn.
And honestly, that kind of hunger is what education should be about. Not fancy classrooms or shiny tables, but that raw desire to grow, to understand, and to create something better for yourself.
Now when I think back, I smile a little. Because that one day I refused to go to school became the day I truly understood what learning was. It’s not always easy , in fact, it’s rarely easy. But every time I see a child bent over their books despite the heat, the noise, or the darkness, I feel inspired again.
So yes, there was a day I didn’t go to school because I couldn’t finish my homework due to unreasonable excuse. But today, I carry that experience like a badge — a reminder that real learning doesn’t happen only when the light is on. Sometimes, it begins right in the middle of the darkness, when you decide to try again.
And every child deserve an education 👌
Thanks for taking your time to read through.see you in my next blog.
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Every child deserves a good education.
So times I see some children conditions and I just feel so sad about it.
Same feeling here.
Especially those hawking in the streets and traffic.
My heart always goes out to them