I was sixteen years old the day I got the idea that started
book club. I looked out my window to see one of our numerous neighbours with a baby bump. My heart
tore as I saw yet another product of so called “secondary school love” and the ignorance that came with it. It
wasn’t a new thing, at least not in Ajegunle where I lived. Many young girls
would finish school and few months later, get pregnant for boys we never saw or
could identify. My ‘research’ showed that most of these young girls had a very
small chance of furthering their education, baby or not because there was no
education!
My friends and I had common minds: we didn’t want to end up
in the kitchen, we wanted to go to the University and we liked reading books. I
was the supplier of all kinds of books. I started reading at the age of six and
the first book I remember I read was Enid Blyton’s “Bimbo and Topsy”. I was privileged to have been brought up with
books, and to have gone to good schools, not so many of my neighbours were.
As I looked at the young girl, I thought, ‘Why don’t I start
a book club with the Girls In My Area where
we read books and at the end of the month, have someone talk to us about life,
love and God? I was excited to say the least. I’m not sure if I wrote it down
but it never left my heart. I discussed it with an uncle of mine as I knew it
was going to cost money to buy the books. He told me to write a proposal and
send it to him. Proposal? I was a bit discouraged. I didn’t think it will take
that much planning.
However, time passed and no sooner was it my turn to enter
the University after staying home for a year teaching in a nursery school. I
entered the Prestigious University of Ibadan to study Medicine and Surgery. I
kind of suppressed ‘Girls In My Area’
project because I was in another area! There would be times I would think of it
and get a chill, or feel bad. It was more of a feeling of knowing you carried
something in you but didn’t know how to bring it out. I got real busy in school
doing other things, partly because I knew that I couldn’t be idle and because I
was afraid to start. Often times, my Le Boo would encourage me to start but I
just didn’t know how to. I would cry to him and to God but get stuck!
Last year September, I met some awesome friends- Okikiolu
Kayode, Aramide Akinsanmi, Peter Obaraye and Paul Obaraye who not only encouraged me but took
it up as their pet project. As we did our research and sought for advice, we
thought it wise to change the name to Teens
in My Area because we couldn’t only focus on the girls. THE
BOOK CLUB became a subsidiary of TIMA.
Why book club? I’ve always believed that reading formed a
major part of me and can do the same for others. It can make the difference in
one’s life. I wanted teenagers in my area to have that opportunity to read good
books that could build them and bless them. I was tired of disastrous ends for
teenagers because of poor education. And like David, I wanted to make a
difference in my generation (Acts 13:36). I still do.
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| one of our discussions on "self-esteem" |
The book club officially started in November 2012 in Abadina
College Junior School 1. It was favor all the way. The school was glad to
receive us and have us speak with the students. The students were excited to
see us: their potential future in another 3-5 years! We got a book shelf and
started with donated books from people, even the teachers and some students
began to give us books.
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| some of the donated books |
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| our book shelf |
It has been a year. I don’t want to bore you with the
details. What do we do? We meet with
the students during co-curricular activity and discuss a topic, teach them how
to summarize books, and encourage them to visit the library often. All book
club members (60+ at the last count) have automatic library cards while other
students at the discretion of the school can borrow books.
There have been those sincerely depressing days when I was
so scared that the book club won’t make it or I can’t handle the load of work I
have. At times my Le Boo keeps reminding me that God will do it, other times
push me to continue, and all the time give it his best shot (I am elated to
have him). Miraculously, medical school (I’m in my fifth year now) has never
interrupted with our club meetings- Wednesdays. We have a number of volunteers.
We are working on registering it as an NGO presently and
putting structures to expand to other schools, public schools being our focus
for now.
As time goes and things unfold I’m more certain that ‘whatever is born of God overcomes the
world, even our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes
that Jesus is the Son of God?’ ~ 1 John 5:4-5.
You are free to ask any question concerning book club, I’ll
be glad to answer. Thank you!
