Life of a youth Corp: The ups and the downs.

1. NYSC [NATIONAL YOUTH SERVICE CORPS]

     Serving your Fatherland???? OK, forget all the mumbo jumbo I said in the preface. That's just what the scheme is about and what the government will tell you. From here on you will be reading my opinion and that of other youth corps around me. Don't get me wrong, I love my country but I still have to narrate the truth from my point of view.

THE WAIT
     Most people got admission into universities for 4yrs, 5 or 6yrs courses and end up spending additional years to this in school without extra years (LAUTECH medical students understand this better). The whole system is crippled.
Finally!!! We graduate and finish college. Then comes the next phase.
NYSC!!!!
     You have to wait months to get mobilised. If you are "lucky" enough to be in the medical line like me, it means two different phases to claim more of your time.
Phase 1-: one year internship/housemanship program. Plus additional months spent waiting for placement for it. I waited March-August (6months).
Phase 2-: you spend another couple of months waiting to be mobilised for NYSC. I waited August-January (6months again).
That totals two years post graduation.

     Growing up I had this admiration for corpers. I was in awe of them. They were like superstars in my eyes. Graduates serving their Fatherland. I couldn't wait for my turn. I will imagine myself strutting around in my uniform and boot. NYSC spelt adventure, achievements, freedom to explore and a step into a new era to my little eyes. Boy was I a little dreamer!!!!

CALL UP
     Fast forward to the future and I was ready to embark on the journey. I had my whites ready (the shirts, shorts, socks and white shoes) and all essentials. Then call up letter came out and I saw... YOBE! YOBE!! YOOOBEEE!!! 😡. And what's even worse is that we get to camp there. Yippee!!! Am super excited (not). Most peeps who got posted to adamawa or yobe 2016 Batch B stream 2, will know that feeling. On one hand I was super excited to be going for nysc (I couldn't wait to get it over with), on the other hand I really didn't want to go that far North or close to Mr Shekau. I had to join whatsapp group for PCMs going to yobe like me to gather support.
     The first word out of mother dearest when I told her my state of deployment was "My daughter is not going to Boko Haram state", you will just have to wait for batch A 2017. But even though I was struggling with coming to terms with the yobe news, I knew waiting for the next batch wasn't an option. I mean there was the possibility of me getting Yobe again or worse Bornu state. So I gathered all the help I could get (family and friends) and coupled with my awesome persuasion skill, we managed to convince her to let me go. However, she agreed on the condition that I redeploy after 3weeks in camp, which I was happy to agree to. I mean who will want to stay in a state that is more than 16hrs straight drive away from home and doesn't have an airport. Not to mention the once in a while Boko crisis and OMG! The weather. Extreme heat and cold, nothing in the middle.
     The journey to camp was long. I left home two days before camp was due to open. I started my journey as early as 6am the first day, had a stop over in Abuja and continued my trip from Abuja to yobe 7am the next morning. The ride wasn't totally boring because I met other PCMs in the buses and we gisted about what to expect and stuffs. However, I got the shock of my life when I got to bauchi and my hope for a correct suya was dashed. I mean the highlight of going to serve in the North was supposed to be the suya and the kilishi. Imagine the shock when we stopped to get Suya  and I heard "Bah huta" (No fire). I mean who makes suya without fire. Suya without fire is cold suya and cold suya is terrible.
     Getting to camp was easy enough, all of us passengers were enroute to NYSC camp. So the nice driver dropped us at the camp gate instead of town. We submitted our luggage for checking at the gate (I later got to know I misplaced my bathing soap during the process 😔 😔) and we were shown to the dormitories (if it could be called that). The sleeping quarters wasn't totally shabby though, but I was sure I will be dealing with wads of mosquitoes (and I was spot on). It's a miracle I didn't come down with malaria in camp. Lots of people did anyways. Maybe I should thank the fact that I was surrounded by drugs from that.
     And so began the next phase of my life. NYSC finally!!!!
          LIFE OF A YOUTH CORP

***PCMs means prospective Corp members.
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