Refined by Purpose, Grounded by Hope
And here I am today, trying to fund my dreams and hoping that one day, I will arrive and effect the change I’ve always dreamed of.
By Faith Ogunode
6.8.2025 - 2 minutes read
Reading Mowa’s articles reassures and affirms the reason why I am still in this country. All I’ve wanted to do since I was very small was to travel abroad, maybe because I wanted to be a pilot, or maybe because I’ve always been fascinated and curious about what it’s like to be on a plane. But the moment that stuck with me the most was when I was 9 years old. One of my dad’s business partners, who often visited with convoys, once asked if he could take me back abroad with him. It sounded like an answered prayer, but my dad said no without thinking twice.
I spent years asking why, looking for answers. In my searching, I started reading about traveling and planning toward it. I told myself that immediately after university, I would certainly leave this country. But in my research, I began to see that the land that seems greener on the other side is only greener because they make use of what they have. I wouldn’t have affirmed this if I hadn’t met great people during my undergraduate years, people with whom I shared dreams and goals, argued ideas, and eventually joined the campus changemakers. That journey led me to become the president, build sustainable structures, and leave a legacy.
My university phase changed everything for me. What we established didn’t just instill in me the power of hope, the power of possibility, and unity, it also enlightened me to see the good in the land called Nigeria. I decided after university that I would be a farmer. By the way, I studied Computer Science because that man (my dad’s partner) said it was the “selling course” over there. So, it was Computer Science or nothing. Still, I worked on an agricultural project converting cassava peel into bird feed with ENACTUS, one of the organizations I led during my undergraduate years. With this project, we ranked among the top 6 universities in the country at the national competition.
And here I am today, trying to fund my dreams and hoping that one day, I will arrive and effect the change I’ve always dreamed of. My passion to travel hasn’t entirely changed, but now, it is refined with purpose. I want to travel for work, for partnerships, and to make my father’s land a better place, one that others abroad will also dream of visiting someday. And this doesn’t just begin or end with me. We all have a role to play.
