See why every Nigerian lady must learn a skill

A certificate is a piece of paper that can lose its value tomorrow but a skill learnt and perfected over time evolves to something bigger and extraordinay.

Immediately I finished University, I had such high hopes, I felt I had landed, I wanted to work for a while before going for NYSC, I concluded in me that no interviewer would see me and not wanna give me a job, imagine after series of interviews the excuses were your salary rate is high, you don’t have an NYSC certificate yet, etc.

One morning my mom barged into my room and asked when I was going to learn a skill, I asked her what she meant skill?, she asked me what can I do with my hands I told her I could write she said go on, I said blog, and I could hold an audience I can still hear her laughter till today, she told me those weren’t skills I should either chose between fashion designing or hair making, I said to her what! After how many years in the university I was going to some shop to go learn how to be a tailor.

I was ashamed, what would people say, I couldn’t imagine myself going to some woman to learn how to sew, or make hair, it was beneath me I felt, I was a graduate and was going to work in a big corporation I said to myself.

I was at home for two years doing nothing, I wanted to work before NYSC but jobs weren’t coming so I decided to go for NYSC. Two months later I was bored, I wanted to do something, I wanted to get involved in a charity project, raise funds for female prisoners etc but I had no funds myself, I was really broke then it dawned on me, I am a woman in my 20’s without a dime in my account I got no skills, my blog and vlog were just something I took as a hobby and haven’t been monetized, I was having a taste of the real world and I wasn’t ready for it.

No knowledge is a waste, nothing learnt can be unlearnt, I thought for several days no one knows me here, there’s nothing to be ashamed of, I need to learn something my certificate hasn’t given me nothing but who knows what fashion designing might and so I decided, a decision I am so glad I made.

I met this young girl who sews, she’s someone I relate with very well, I begged her to teach me, she was shocked and asked if I was sure I said yes, she gave me her bill, imagine me I was so broke my mum had to send me part of it.

Two months into learning everyone who sees me in the shop thinks I have been there for a year, I am learning in an amazing manner, I never knew I could have passion for sewing, YouTube has become my second home, sewing groups have become family to me, I dream about sewing, I talk sewing, I am so enthusiastic about it and it makes me happy.

Dear women, there isn’t enough jobs for every graduate, you can learn a skill and create jobs for others, entrepreneurs are taking over the world, beauty will fade but having a skill will evolve, no man wants to spend on a woman who has nothing to offer except beauty, you need to bring more than sex into the game, we live in an evil world now, girls are being used please be careful.

I know how to farm; I want to go into cassava farming as soon as I can raise some funds, don’t be ashamed to work with your hands, don’t be ashamed to earn a honest living, nothing good comes easy, it takes time, hard work and patience, even if I don’t become a fashion designer tomorrow this is a skill I can never forget I can sew for my kids and husband even my mother.