The desire and pursuit of one’s dreams never come easy and it is especially a lot more difficult for individuals who have to work twice as hard with very little or no financial support.
Olivia Agbenyeke, a brilliant, excellent and respectful student, as described by her teacher, got to fulfil her dream of becoming a medical doctor after her teacher took a particular interest in her education.
This is the story of the relationship between Olivia Agbenyeke, an A-student and her secondary school teacher from Keta Senior High School, Foga Nukunu.
Foga Nukunu, who was a teacher at Olivia’s senior high school, says he is one who would do anything possible to help students who show they want to help themselves. He says, he believes in how far education can take an individual.
According to him, Olivia was a very brilliant student and despite making all A’s and one B2 in her final year exams, she could not afford to further her education.
He said, “I stayed in touch with her and found out she was at home.” She said she had been at home for a year, working two jobs. One in her father’s drinking bar at Agbogbloshie in Accra and the other tutoring schoolchildren in Adabraka.”
Mr Fogah said, “Even though I didn’t have money for school fees, I wanted to do something about it. So I contacted Kofi Yeboah [previously of Daily Graphic] and got her story told.”
The story written by Kofi Yeboah, a newspaper reporter at the time, was what drew the attention of the world to the plight and desire of Patience. This was where the Phoenix Life Insurance Company read the story and came to her aid.
“I was very emotional even when writing the story, I could just not understand how somebody like her, has done everything she needs to do, was where she was,” Mr Kofi Yeboah said.
“This is not a girl who lives in East Legon or Airport Residential Area. This is not a girl who went to Mfantsiman.”
“She was born and bred in Agbogbloshie and went to KETASCO,” he emphasised.
“If she had done her part, why was she at home,” he questioned.
“I did only a little,” to tell her story. “I was fortunate and lucky to have the opportunity to write her story. But I think any journalist could follow up on this kind of story.”
To him, “she made her story herself.”
Phoenix Life Insurance offered Olivia a scholarship to sponsor her tertiary education. Olivia attended the University of Ghana and six years later, she has graduated as a medical doctor.
Olivia for a long time had no idea of the role her teacher played in her receipt of the scholarship from Pheonix Life.
She didn’t know her teacher Foga Nukunu had sent her results and an email to Kofi Yeboah until much later in her life.
“I was so happy! I was so excited,” she said when Phoenix Life Insurance stepped in to sponsor her tertiary education.
They did not only cater for her tuition fees and give her the supporting materials for her education, but they also gave her money to maintain herself throughout her school years.
“My story is not the first story. I’ll not be the first and I’ll not be the last. People have done this and I can also do it,” she said. “Much has been put into you and much is expected of you. So I was determined.”
She tapped her motivation from two places. The fact that she simply wanted to be a doctor and the other, her family background.
Olivia, her father and Olivia’s sister live in a house inside the Agbogbloshie slum in Accra and not many who live here, ever make it as far as the university.
She says that along the way, she has had friends who fall victim to life’s experiences. She says that she knows of some people who fell pregnant and others who just couldn’t make it due to other circumstances.
It’s not a place you would wish anybody grow up in but it’s the reality for more children than just Olivia.
Olivia says, she is poised to help and support others the same way some generous people helped and supported her.
She is also well on her way to achieving her ultimate goal of becoming a Paediatric neurosurgeon and will soon begin the next stage it takes to become a specialist in a branch of medicine.
She expressed her gratitude to God, her father, her secondary school teachers and she thanks Phoenix Life Insurance for making her dream a reality.
