My secret dream is now a reality

I was invited by World Pulse to attend the annual World Pulse summer Board meeting in Portland from July 10-19, 2017. It was not the first time to fly to the USA through an opportunity from World Pulse, but it was my first Board meeting as the Community Chair. I was happy because it would be another opportunity to deliberate on important issues concerning World Pulse and to hug my sisters again.

During one of the meetings, I was as usual invited to speak, it was at a salon event, there were sisters invited to attend the meeting and all board members who were in Portland for the meeting were in attendance. I spoke from my heart.

At the end of my pitch, one of my sisters, asked me a question; Olutosin what is your next dream? I responded thus; I live in a small house in Festac, and whenever any of my sisterfaces abuse and needed a space to live for few days, I always find it difficult to find a space for them, in addition, I also wanted a space for myself, where I can find personal shelter and shelter for my sisters……. Her immediate response changed the dream to a reality.

She said, how much would you need to actualize that dream, I said $10000 should be enough, and she said, I will give you that money and also give you another $10000 in 2018 to take care of your center.

It was as if I was in a dreamland, I sought for a quiet space, and I was excused into a beautiful room, where I prayed to God, I have never experienced such dream to instant reality before, especially from a sister who later became a very good friend. Later on, she advised me to look for a property to lease for five years instead of building a house, but I declined, I prefer to build what will forever remain our own.

The surprise did not end there, she paid the money into my account. On getting back to Nigeria, I could not find a cheaper land, even in Ibasa riverside community where I work, so I waited until I could find someone who needed to sell his land for an urgent reason. Its always cheaper.... reasons could be for relocation, opportunity abroad etc. Fortunately, a man was relocating to the North and he sold his land. We met the family and bought the property.

Along the line, Colleen had to support me again and again because of the expenses. After building the house, she asked me about the sustainability of my non profit work in the riverside, she suggested additional water business, and I said Yes, because there wasno drinking water in all the riverside communities due to the nature of the water from the land. It is pure salty water. If it is not salty, it stinks like rotten eggs.

I was so happy when she said that she established a borehole business for an organization and before, she would like to do that for me too. It was what I was not expecting, no not at all.

Wow, We began the water tower and borehole construction immediately, it was a lot of money and she supported this dream. Not just ordinary borehole but with water treatment, water tower, water reservoir, 6000 liters of water tanks and giant water cylinders for water treatment . Impossibility became possible for a woman who had only silent wishes before meeting Colleen at World Pulse office!

In addition to all these, because of our security, she also built a fence around the building. A very high wall to keep away violent men, white faced monkeys and snakes, this is just the beginning because, we are starting our training center just behind the new building that Colleen built to make my dreams come true.

Nowhen,I have my dream center, my shelter, my sisters shelter, a new land, fenced property, water tower and a future filled with women who are full of Hope for a better world, Colleen was used by God to change a beautiful dreamto a tangible reality.

When I look back at my journey, I discovered that the story of my life is incredible, nobody can believe this story. I am the example of story to Glory. We have started compiling the names of women and girls who want to register for our training in Ibasa, our training starts next month. This is because I met a sister on World Pulse, who believes in my story and decided to make it a reality.

At the new space, I have separated a room for any sister who needs an emergency space, a room for myself to live in Ibasa, a sitting room for training and we will build more classrooms since we will be starting dressmaking, bag making, shoe making, hairdressing, carpentary, baking classes very soon.

When I remember World Pulse, I will smile and whisper, the community where my dream became real. We need classrooms for our women training, each person who builds a classroom for us will have a class named after her in Ibasa.

My secret dream has taken wings because I log up into World Pulse. I decided to name my center Colleen, although she suggested Olutosin center, i refused.

Suddenly, I woke up to my Colleen center, four toilets and bathrooms, Colleen water and a high walled fence that would be filled with transforming activities of brighter future for women and girls in the riverside communities.

Thanks so much Colleen, my sister and friend .

She believes in my dream, now her support has also encouraged Lena my teacher to build our first classroom for girls evening lesson. What a beautiful world full of beautiful hearted sisters who help to actualize secret dreams.