The life of Philip Abel looked as if it had been derailed at an early age. He was one of the many Nigerian boys who was forced to drop out of primary school to work as a vendor on the streets.
But then his fortune turned. Through the help of the United States Student Achievers' Program Abel will be attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) thanks to a U.S. $150,000 scholarship provided by the university. Before he left Nigeria for his new life Abel talked to AllAfrica's Kylé Pienaar about his journey from street vendor to student at one of the world's most prestigious universities. The interview was edited into a narrative.
I was born on the 10th of October, 1992, in Kano state, Nigeria. I am the eldest of five children. My parents are from Kogi state - I am Igala by tribe. We were comfortable. We could afford to eat. We were all in school. I was at the top of my class. I was a big dreamer. I had been a dreamer since I was small.
I lost my father on the 24th of April 2003 when I was 10 years old. That was the beginning of my problems. I felt as if my world had collapsed. I became the head of the family. I was in [fifth grade]. I had to fend for my younger ones.
I dropped out of school. I started selling sachet water on the street. I sold kerosene. I sold groundnuts. Some days we went without food. We had to rely on relatives for clothes. Every day when I sold things on the street I would see children in uniform going to school with their parents. I cried, 'God, why is my story different?'
But then the proprietor of my primary school discovered I dropped out of school. He got very angry. He came to my house. He told me I had to go back to school. My mom told him the kind of conditions we were facing. He decided to take up some of the burden by paying half of my school fees. And that was how I was able to complete my primary education.
When I graduated from primary school I applied and was admitted to the Rochas Foundation, which provides free education to students from the poorest homes. That's how I got through secondary school. It is not impossible to get a good education in Nigeria but it is tough. For example, I did my homework with a kerosene lamp since there wasn't always electricity. I'm surprised my eyesight is still okay. One time I hit my hand on the kerosene lamp. I got burned.
My favorite subjects were mathematics, chemistry and physics. As a child I had an interest in how objects like fighter jets and rockets move in the air. I plan on studying aeronautic engineering. Then I want to work with the Nigerian Airports Authority to repair jets.
The United States Student Achievers program helped me with the process of applying to institutions in the United States. I also took the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board and the West African Examinations Council examinations. But because I didn't have the right connections, even though I did well, I couldn't get into any of the top universities in Nigeria. So you can imagine how delighted my mother was: a few months ago I couldn't get into a university in Nigeria but now I'm headed to MIT.
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Everyone always asks me how I received the news about my admission to MIT.
I live in a remote area, far from an Internet cafe, so I had to travel from Kano to Abuja where the U.S. Embassy checked the decision online. When I saw the computer screen I started screaming. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe that I got into a school like MIT. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, of all schools... I still can't find an adjective to describe how I felt that day.
When I got back to Kano and I told my mom, she started screaming. We were both screaming. We were at my mom's store and a whole crowd gathered. It was just awesome. I went out on the streets and everyone was looking at me. I come from a kind of rural area so people didn't really have any idea what MIT meant. I had to explain to them that I'd just been accepted to one of the best universities in the world.
Philip Abel will arrive at the MIT campus on the 21st of August, 2011.
