Yewanda Abubakar

You have the great opportunity where you are. You have the opportunity; you better make use of the opportunity please and learn whatever they are teaching you. Just make sure you are grabbing everything your teachers or your parents—whatever they are telling your. It’s good to read. I’m telling you. If you see people without education they are even ashamed of themselves to say something. You focus on what your teacher or parent is telling you. Just focus on it. Don’t think of anything bad or joining bad gang. You have the opportunity and please make use of it. Some people in your shoes who don’t have the opportunity because they don’t have money. You have free school, free food, free school bus, and make use of it and you will come out with flying colors. Your parents will be happy with you.

Yewanda Abubakar

My name is Yewanda Abubakar. I’m from Nigeria. I was born on March 14, 1972. I came to the U.S. about five years ago. I have two kids, Seun and Yinka. They are both students right here.

I started school in elementary. It wasn’t far from the house. But when I went to high school it was tough because I had to take five buses. Where I lived was far away from where my school was. I went to high school in Africa. I went to college. But, if you don’t have money in Africa you can’t go to college. You guys have a great opportunity right here

And another thing, if you do anything that is not good they have to beat your butt. They beat people’s butts with a cane. It depends on what you do. Maybe your teacher gives you homework to do and you didn’t do it. That means you have to get some cane to your butt. In the class like this the teacher will put something up on the board and if you don’t know it the teacher is going to beat your butt.

There is work in Africa. But, the problem they are having in Nigeria when you work you won’t be paid. What I’m trying to say is there’s a lot of jobs in Africa. But, when you work you won’t get paid. You guys have opportunity here. Because there are some things in Africa you can’t complain about. Even if you complain there’s nothing they will do about it.

When the Muslim people in Nigeria saw my last name, they saw that this name belongs to my state, the state I came to college to, so I have to be covering my head. But I don’t do that, I always put on pants. So, there was a day I was going to church. They stopped me. They say either I run for my life or I stay away from what I’m doing. I start praying in my room. Because if I don’t do that they will definitely kill me. That is what they do there. Or if they don’t kill me they pour acid on me.

I was working as a teacher in Africa taking care of little kids. Taking care of little kids, littler than you. Because in Africa, I know that here you can go to school at about 4 or 5. But, in Africa if you have your money your kids can go to school at anytime. If you have your money and want to pay, you can send kids at six months or two months. Because you have to concentrate on kids in Africa.

I came to the United States in 2005. We came as immigrants. My father brought me. He said, because of shame, he wanted us to have a good education. That’s why we came over here. I love the freedom here. It says in the government book. It says there’s freedom of speech. In Africa there is no freedom of speech. There are some things you cannot say. If you say it you can get arrested. Like in last year and voting for Obma. I saw people putting things on the car. You can’t do that in Africa. It is not allowed. You’ll be in trouble for that. You can go to jail for that. There is freedom of everything here. In Africa there is limitation on speech