Nigerian woman who hawked pure water to pay school fees graduates with law degree

A Nigerian woman who once hawked pure water under the sun to raise money for her education has graduated with a law degree, sharing her childhood struggles to inspire young people facing difficult circumstances.

In a heartfelt Facebook post, Chekwube recounted growing up in poverty after losing her father when she was barely a year old. Her mother was left to raise the family with limited resources, making basic needs such as regular meals, school sandals and Christmas clothes difficult to afford.

She said she could hardly remember receiving new clothes for Christmas as a child, explaining that her mother would collect clothes given to her, take them to a tailor and have them remade for Chekwube and her sister.

According to her, the family did not kill a chicken for Christmas until she was 16 years old.

Chekwube also recalled being withdrawn from school at the age of nine because her mother could not afford the KSh 48 required for her Common Entrance examination.

Determined to continue her education, she began hawking pure water around markets and parks to raise the money needed to pay the examination fee and return to school.

Reflecting on her experiences, she cautioned against glorifying hardship, saying suffering should not be something anyone must endure to prove their worth.

“Suffering is not a trophy. It is not something anyone should have to experience to prove their worth,” she wrote.

Years later, Chekwube has graduated with a law degree and founded the Dear Young Me Initiative, an organisation focused on encouraging young people to believe in their potential regardless of their backgrounds.

She attributed her journey to God's mercy, expressing gratitude for the strength that sustained her through difficult times.

“I see the mercy of God. I see a God who never abandoned me, even when life gave me so many reasons to wonder how things would turn out,” she wrote.

Addressing young people who may feel limited by their present circumstances, Chekwube urged them not to allow their backgrounds to determine their expectations for the future.

“Your present circumstances do not have the final say over your future. With God, determination and the courage to keep going, you can become more than your present situation suggests,” she said.

She added that her story was not simply about personal resilience, but also a reminder that a difficult beginning does not have to define the course of a person's life.