If You Only Live For Yourself, You Have Not Truly Lived

I had observed him for some time. Each day the routine was the same. 'Eba' with very dry 'egusi' mixed with just palm oil early in the morning and the leftover late at night. No meat. No fish. He kept largely to himself.

He had some bushy beards that made him look like a Marxist of sorts. He always trekked to campus and the University was (still is) non-residential. At night, he spread a blanket on the bare floor and slept. No mattress. No bed. He was in the room next to mine.

I was President of the Students Union Government at my University then during my undergraduate days.

After some time, I approached him. I wanted to know what his challenges were and how I could help. His story brought me to tears.

He told me he's an orphan. He previously got admitted to a nearby Federal University but was expelled for Students Union activities after a few years. He had to write JAMB again, got admitted to the State University and had to personally pay his way since he had no sponsor.

He sold art works (he was admitted to study Fine Arts) to survive. He was indigent.

I decided to do something. At that time, I had just moved to a single room in the hall where I stayed and I 'inherited' the bed of my senior who had just graduated.

So, I had my own original bed and mattress. I gave them to him. I also assisted him with money once in a while. It wasn't that I had excess to spare- I was also a student but I just couldn't let go. I graduated the following year 1999 and didn't see him again.

In 2002, I got married. My wife and I spent our honeymoon at a place in Ibadan called Encomia then. It was a decent, well-run boutique hotel in Bodija. My father-in-law wanted to go back to his base then so we had to leave our honeymoon nest to see him off.

We drove to his house and as expected, there were many family members who were present- elderly men and women.

As we entered the living room, my wife screamed out a name in pure delight and ran towards a man who was surrounded by other family members.

She hugged him and both of them were laughing. She called him 'Uncle'. I stood, transfixed to the same spot, trying very hard to see if I was actually seeing well. It was him. The same guy I assisted on campus- the guy who ate 'eba' without meat or fish.

He stared at me too. He looked at my wife and asked her, 'Is Bayo your husband? Is he the one you just married?' My wife, surprised that he knew my name without an introduction, nodded. He then said, 'You married well'.

He turned to my father-in-law and said, 'This is the person I just told you about. He's the one who gave me a bed to sleep on campus and money at times'. It turned out he was the only child of my father-in-law's late elder brother. No one had seen him in years.

People gave him up for dead- until he showed up that afternoon. He was telling them his survival story when I walked in. I was covered with goosebumps that afternoon.

It was such an emotional moment as everyone in the family came to me and hugged me. I didn't know I was actually doing myself a favour that time by helping the guy. I never knew he would be my future in-law.

I believe this true story of mine applies to our nation Nigeria. We have a choice to either walk past and complain or do our own bit. Those street kids we ignore will grow up with our own kids. Who knows the damage they may cause in a few years?

The almajiris we ignored yesterday became the Boko Haram of today. I'm not advocating that individuals should take over the role of government but in our case, just complaining won't solve any problem. You can pay someone's hospital bill. You can pay someone's school fees.

You can direct traffic in your neighbourhood. You can counsel that young man that is experimenting with drugs. You can paint a classroom. You can buy a uniform for a child.

Something as simple as putting a tap outside your building for your community to fetch water can be a saving grace for many. You can be another person's helper- another person's angel. You are the answer someone has been waiting for.

As little as what you think you have is, it is the solution to someone's problem. This nation will witness a revolution if we have a critical mass of more selfless people.

You may think you're helping others but you may be helping yourself. You have not truly lived if you only live for yourself. Do good to someone today .

Acts 10:38 NLT- And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good.....

*I shared this true story in my first book 40 Lessons I Learnt Along The Way.

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