Rather than beg for alms, I’ll rather hustle till I die, I have something to protect,” was the solemn declaration of a grandmother, Comfort Udofia. She was sighted striving to make sales of her wares of soft drinks, sachet water and snacks around Uyo, but on this specific day, in one of the lecture halls in the University of Uyo Town Campus, Akwa Ibom State.
The widow and indigene of Oruk-Anam Local Government Area narrated her story of years, struggles and dashed hopes to Saturday Tribune on Wednesday afternoon.
“My name is Comfort Udofia Udoh. I’m from Oruk-Anam Local Government Area. My parents are late. I don’t remember my exact age, but I should be in my 50s. I completed primary school, but couldn’t go to secondary school, poverty would not allow,” he began.
Udofia appeared rather older than her age. The reason is obvious – hardship, privation. Hear her: “I look this old (as I can see how you’re staring and greeting me like an old woman) because of the hardship of life.”
She continued: “I lost my husband to accident over 10 years ago. I have an only daughter who is a grown up lady with kids that run a photocopying business on campus.”
For Udofia, the scripture that says he who does not work should not eat is relevant and golden. So, she didn’t sit arms folded, looking for freebies. “If I don’t hawk this water, soft drinks and snacks, I won’t have food to eat, pay my bills or money to pay my rent.”
This is because she seldom enjoys little or no support from family members, though “My daughter is assisting me; I don’t want to pressure her too much because she also has a family of her own to take care of. I don’t want to depend solely on my daughter that is why I’m hustling.”
In attempting to live her life without her late husband and only now-married child, Udofia has moved from one menial trade to another in order to survive. “I was previously living in Calabar where I was selling vegetables. It was that business that I used to train my daughter through primary and secondary school. She couldn’t further her education because of the situation of things.
“I have a small stall where I sit and rest sometimes, but I don’t have enough money to buy enough things to sell there and if I just sit down there, I won’t be able to make sales so I move around.
“I used to come out very early every day to buy ice block to ice the soft drinks and water so that by 9:00a.m, I can start moving around to sell.”
In spite of the hardship in the land, Udofia is trudging on, keeping body and soul together, amid available means and the little sales she makes daily, but which pale in the face of inflation.
“I normally buy five crates of these can drinks and sell them in two days and the most I make as profit everyday I go out to sell is N5,000. I sell three or four bags of sachet water in addition to it. I go to people making snacks and buy wholesale and then sell too.
“I like to sit down in a shop and run a business because it’s not easy moving around under this hot sun. I live in a one room apartment and I pay N4,000 per month,” she lamented.
The grandmother and widow reiterated her aversion to alms begging for survival, saying it’s demeaning and strips one of self worth and dignity. Neither would she consider re-marrying, as, according to her, even potential husbands are nothing, but liabilities to themselves.
“I can’t beg that is why I’m hustling. I can’t stand it. I may be suffering, but let me suffer sweating it out to live on. God so good he gave me strength. I don’t fall sick so easily, so I make sure to put my strength in hustling. I don’t want to remarry and I don’t want to be with a man. Not again. Thank God I have a daughter who has given me grandchildren. I just want to hustle and take care of myself,” she noted.
“I really don’t know what we have government for. I thought they said government is meant to take care of the poor and the weak in society. But Nigeria’s case is far from these intents. Why are they turning things upside down for the common man? What’s their usefulness?
“The increase in prices of foodstuffs is telling heavily on me because even with the little money I’m making daily, it seems like I’m not doing anything. Notwithstanding, I still prefer to suffer and hustle so that I no go beg,” she insisted, in an emotion laden voice.
READ ALSO FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
