What the Orphans Taught Me

By Shoewu Praise Oreoluwa, Lagos State University

Age: 19

When I think about the most important lessons I’ve learnt in life, my thoughts don’t take me back to my classroom in secondary school, the competitions I went to, or even the WAEC I wrote.

No.

Instead, I remember the places I’ve been to, the people I’ve met, and all the subtle moments that served to teach me a thing or two.

One of such moments was on a day when we went on an excursion to visit some orphanages in my state. It was just meant to be another outing, an opportunity to spend time with my friends outside the classroom. But when we got there, I found out there was more to life than just socializing.

The children greeted us with such warm smiles, their happiness at our presence evident. They were dressed in such tattered and worn-out clothes, I was left wondering what was protecting them from the cold and mosquitoes at night. One girl held my hand and showed me the alphabet she had chaotically written in a notebook, which had obviously been through a lot. Another boy asked me questions about my school, his eyes brimming with curiosity. I realized that education to them wasn’t a daily routine like it was for me; it was a privilege, one they didn’t have full access to.

That day, I left humbled. I had gone there thinking of just exploring their home and comparing it to the relatively decent life I was accustomed to. Instead, my whole perspective had changed. I experienced gratitude and empathy, lessons we never learnt in class, but rather I learnt through real encounters.

I carried this awareness with me throughout my everyday life. Anytime I find myself frustrated by classes and on the verge of giving up, I remember those children, their warm smiles making them look so radiant, learning despite their circumstances. The thought strengthens me to carry on, no matter what.

Though the classroom sharpens our minds, our experiences shape our character. Through those orphans who taught me gratitude, resilience, and empathy, I learnt that the richest lessons don’t come in a classroom, surrounded by students, teachers, or textbooks. Rather, they come in the form of encounters, challenges, and experiences that can’t be bought.

So today, when I sit in class, I listen carefully, never taking my opportunities for granted. But I also pay attention when I step outside the classroom doors, because life in itself is the greatest teacher and the lessons we learn from it shapes who we become.