Encomium
The harsh economy the country has been experiencing for quite long has constantly made breadwinners in different families groan.
Some men ENCOMIUM Weekly had a chat with on this explained how they cope with the situation.
OLAORE OLALERE (school teacher & private tutor, 2 children)
Things have not been really going on well with me. To sustain my family now is not easy at all. With a salary of less than N30,000 because I am a teacher in a private school. I have a wife and two children to cater for, extended family members too are there, both mine and my wife’s.
Even with the private tutorials I do, when parents don’t have money, they tell their children to stay at home. But I still thank God that I was not too desperate to buy a land last year. It was the money I gave to my wife to start her business, and they money realised from the business is what’s sustaining us now.
HABEEB ASIMIYU (butcher, 3 children)
Things are really tough now, no doubt. Everyone has had his own fair share. The only difference here is that I run a daily business. People buy meat every day, though patronage has dropped drastically, we still thank God. At least, we are able to bring something home every day.
I can’t say this is how I’ve been able to sustain my family, I believe it is God because I’m the only one working now, my wife just gave birth to our third baby. It has been God all the way.
AWEDE SIMEON (auto mechanic, 3 children)
The economy is bad but who are we going to tell, that? Where would we go to even if we don’t want to stay here and endure? We just have to keep praying for things to get better soon because I’m afraid. If things continue this way, a lot of people will become sinners just to get something to eat. It’s only when you eat to your satisfactory that you will have conscience, a hungry man is an angry man.
I thank God that I reconciled with my wife before this time else it would have been worse. She is more or less the breadwinner of the family now because since about ten days now, I only come to the shop in the morning and go home in the evening, no work.
IFEANYI (casual worker, 1 child)
Do you know this question you are asking can actually make someone cry? Sometime around last month, I was close to tears when I didn’t get money to buy my baby’s food. I had to tell my wife to make pap for the little child because the baby food I used to buy for him now cost over N2,000.
When I could not afford it anymore, we had to settle for the local pap, and that is what he has been taking since last month. I work in a factory, we produce hair cream. The medicine I bought for my baby last week, I only paid part of the money, I’m yet to pay the balance. God has been feeding us, I don’t know what to say.
TENIOLA OLUGBOYEGA (Banker, 2 children)
My salary has not increased and neither has it decreased, but the cost of living has risen so high. There is no how things won’t be difficult. Right now, I have to cut down cost, all the things I used to spend money on, I had to review them and see which once are the most important. Even my children’s provisions, I have to reduce them, no chocolate, no sweet, few biscuits, Golden Morn and milk, no Cornflakes any more.
Even, the food we eat at home, my wife has been complaining about the cost of pepper. I just told her that she should not think that the feeding allowance will increase, she should just know what to do about it or else we will all go hungry. I only pray I don’t lose my job, I believe things will get better soon.
ENUBUJE ALEX (trader, 2 children)
I will not say all has been fine because it has not. Last two weeks that my children resumed school, I nearly had high blood pressure because training a child through school is not easy. I just believe nothing is impossible with God. I’ve been trying my best and God has been good to me. But it’s not easy at all.
-AZEEZAT KAREEM and OLUWAFEMI SOEWU
