FROM the ARCHIVE:
In a male dominated world, some women
are sincerely climbing up the ladder to success by sheer determination and
integrity. Mrs. Erelu Adeyemi, comes in
handy as one of such women. Feeling unfulfilled as a teacher, she unrelentingly
went after her dream to be able to do much more than the classroom
routine. And, she indeed succeeded!
Today, as the proprietress of Foresight Int’l
School, Festac Town,
she is voted as one of the top seven entrepreneurs of the environs because of
her doggedness and sincerity. In this interview, she opens up on the journey so
far to Tayo Faloye. Get inspired...
You have been nominated as one of the
top seven entrepreneurs of our environs, can you tell us about your background
and career?
I am Erelu Adeyemi. I am from Ogun State,
married to an Ondo man from Owo. I have my N.C.E. I graduated as an NCE teacher
in 1983 and further got a B.A from the Lagos State
University, Ojo.
As a proprietress of a private
school, what inspired you into starting a school?
Basically because I love children around me and I always
feel as a teacher I wasn't doing enough. I wasn't able to give my best, so I
thought I could still do something more. That was why I decided to start a
school; but mostly because of the passion for children.
For you to have started a school, you
don't seem to agree with the adage that 'teachers reward is in heaven.'
My answer is a No and a Yes. Teachers reward is in heaven as
Jesus Christ said in the bible: 'suffer not the little children to come unto
me.” That means to me, if you love and take care of children, there is
something in stock for you over there (heaven). At the same time, their reward
is here because if you do it the way it is supposed to be done, children will
acquire the right knowledge and will become important people in life, and they
will never forget you. I was opportuned to be at a seminar some weeks ago at
Sunfit organised by Amuwo odofin L.G.A for proprietors and proprietress of
schools, and the Chairman proudly introduced his teacher when he was in school.
Those are part of the rewards for teachers. Within me, I thought that the
seated woman must have felt well honoured because there is no honour a teacher
wants more than that.
From being a teacher to becoming a
proprietress, how did you achieve this and what are the hurdles you met on the
way?
I remember back in 1997 when I started, it wasn't a bed of
roses. I started in a 2 bedroom bungalow and then, we were begging parents to
bring their children because there were many big schools within Festac Town. As we were just coming newly into the market,
parents wanted the ready-made schools. We had to engage in house to house
aggressive marketing, which yielded a very good result. So, within a spate of
six months, we had about eighty seven children. Some of the sisters that helped
me then are now in banks and I am not surprised because they are good
marketers. Then, finances… it wasn't easy because many of the parents were not
paying. Some will tell you 'my container has not come,' 'my husband brother is
getting married,' and many more excuses. And, it is still like that till today.
Many parents are not getting their priorities right.
The proliferation of schools now is
alarming. Don't you think this should be regulated or controlled?
I think that should be the work of the Federal Ministry of
Education. If they do it, then it would be the best thing for education rather
than have untrained teachers just wake up one day to start a school. I don't
want to sound harsh so as not to become an enemy of progress because the
economy is hard. It is very easy to start a school, but it depends on your
level because if you need to go far, much is expected of you. Who know, if the
federal government can come up with something like the merging done in the
banking sector, they can also do it to schools so that it would improve the
quality and standard of education.
You mean there are no set standard or
criteria before starting a school?
None that I know of. If you want your school to be approved,
you would go to the ministry of education to collect a form, and you start up
with the process. Then, they will come down to see if you have the basic things
or if you meet up with their requirements and your school will be approved.
As a teacher, tell us about your most
embarrassing moment?
The only embarrassing moment I have ever had was when a
parent came in to beat up a teacher. I wasn’t around when it occured. I was at
the Ministry of Education. I try to play like a role model that teachers are
known for. So humiliating was the
incident that after beating up the teacher, the parent seized the teacher's
phone. I told her to release the handset, that because you are our customer and
they say customers are always right does not mean you should go to the extreme,
but she refused I appealed to the
teachers to be calm. So we had to call in the police and I think they handled
the situation the way I love it. They dealt with the parent and the teacher was
happy.
Funding is the bane of many entrepreneurs.
How have you been able to raise the fund needed for your school project?
I thank God I have an understanding husband who believes in
me and has always been there for me up till now. He single handedly financed
the school from renting the bungalow and providing all the things that we
needed and went as far as paying the staff for eight months from his own
pocket. And, in 2004, the SMEEIS came up initiated by President Obasanjo to
help small scale enterprises. I applied and by the grace of God I was granted
the sum of twenty million equity investment by Prudent bank now Skye Bank.
Do you feel fulfilled having your own
school?
I have always felt fulfilled because of the passion I have
for it. It's something you cannot really explain. Fulfillment in life is not by
cash. It is about making other people happy. Making and not breaking another
human being. Putting smiles on your students faces especially when they come to
check their WAEC or SSCE results; that is what I call fulfillment.
What are some reforms you would like
to bring on if given a chance to change things in the education sector?
To change things in Nigeria, I think you have to start
from the parents. Every child comes into this world in a clean slate. It is
whatever we build there that we meet. In those days, you can hardly see a
parent going to a school to quarrel with the teachers rather they will add to
the beating of their children if they hear any complain about them. But the
reverse is the case now. 98% of private schools don't use canes, and the bible
says 'spear the rod and spoil the child.' So the children are at liberty to do
whatever they want. Parents are not
helping matters because many of them are never there, forgetting that all their
hard work and efforts will be left behind for these same children you don't
have time to train. So, I think parents' orientation must have to be changed
first.
You have spoken so proudly of your
husband; tell us one spectacular thing he did when he was wooing you?
Well, we both met at first bank, and I have always called
him an awkward lover. He doesn't belong to the group of people that will shout
I love you, these and that. He is the kind that will not tell you lies. He
walked up to me the first day I started work in first bank and said “I think I
like you.” So we started from there.
What is your advice to those who want
to be where you are today?
It is not a bed of roses but at the same time it is worth
going into. We all cannot be waiting for jobs that are not there. So, you just
have to take a risk, be committed and consistent.
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