My NYSC Experience

Posted by Uzo on August 08, 2010 at 02:52:27:

NYSC was not easy but perhaps it helped give me a different picture of life and showed how one can survive even with the littlest of resources.
I did my NYSC in Edo state and I just want to say that the first three weeks orientation at Okada was exciting as I met different kinds of people from all over Nigeria. I also was lucky to run into some former friends from my University.
It was not easy waking up early in the morning by 6a.m and doing some early morning jogging and paramilitary training but it was worth it and it helped me to lose weight. What I didn't really like was standing in the sun in the afternoon and marching or doing training by that time.
I liked the mammy market after our training as anyone who had money could just go there and get satisfied. The food, drinks, television and drama were ok. The radio was cool as it helped keep us sane at times living in an environment like that. What I didn't like was the fact that we used pit toilet as there were flies all over there so guys just preferred using the bush most times. Also we had to bathe close to the dormitory and early in the morning since the main bathrooms were far from our place and it didn't make sense rushing early in the morning when everybody wants to bathe at once.
There were fine babes as well as ugly babes and good as well as bad guys but after three weeks of orientation, a lot of people left and I think some settled their way out rather than do their full one year programme.
Well doing the one year programme was not easy as even though we were lodged in a nice Corper's lodge in a village, we were about 2 times robbed by armed robbers. One can hardly spend money in the village because what would you buy other than farm produce or at best soft drinks? Apart from that, getting money was not easy but if you had the money, spending it can be nice as you can go out and see the city, visit fellow corpers in other LGAs as well as shop and eat at good places rather than mama put when your monthly corpers allowance is so small. I guess, that is why they call it monthly allowance and not salary, you have to have some extra cash if you really want to survive your one year programme as a corper because the monthly allowance is just enough for food and nothing else.
We have to take a bike every morning to work as it is the safest and more convenient means of going to work earlies and with no stress. Some corpers however also prefer trekking to work every morning but trekking from the village to the city takes more than one hour and passing through that route is mostly an isolated journey as the road is covered on both sides by bushes so it is much safer we trekked in groups rather than individually. Being a corper also has its advantages like when you are dressed in your full regalia, you may catch a free ride to work, easily gain trust from people since they know you are a corper you know. People find it hard to trust people they don't know or can't identify with a job but because you are a corper, you easily get trusted and respected, I guess you would refer to those as benefits in kind.
As corpers at the lodge, at times we come together in the sitting room and chat or watch television. At times we may also throw a small party but nobody would really want to show that they have too much money as everyone was always acting conservatively. We also brainstormed of how we could start doing business as corpers and really make money but they were challenges and it wasn't easy. We also gisted about how the NYSC encourages corpers to get married during their service year by giving them financial grants of hundreds of thousands if they are married. Well, I don't think most people were thinking about getting married then and with such small amount for a long term marriage. Maybe if they would offer N1m, then a lot of corpers would be marrying themselves.
I also remember one song we used to sing while at camp that seems to mock soldiers who were trying to woo female corpers and those female corpers who also might have interest in soldiers, it goes like this:

Dem go born mumu
Dem go born mumu
If Corper marry soldier
Dem go born mumu

When we finished singing this song while jogging, our 10 platoon soldier would give us harder drills jokingly and make us jog two times faster.

It was exciting and the kind of military training we received was helpful although we didn't learn how to use guns or arms. But life outside the camp became more challenging and at the same time helpful as it made us start thinking deeply about how to solve our immediate problems. I also made some friends from the north but surprised to learn that there were also Christians. We in the south mostly think that everyone from the North is a Muslim but there are also Christians also - Nigeria is mixed and that's the funny truth. So this NYSC experience helps people from different backgrounds to learn more about each other as well as improve each other's understanding about Nigeria which is really a mixed country.
If I was asked to go back and do another NYSC, I don't think I would want that again as levels don change. It is not everyday that Obi is boy, now he is a man and there are just some things you would prefer keeping a good memory of, rather than experience it again.

Re: My NYSC Experience

Posted by on October 26, 2010 at 01:32:05:
In Reply to: My NYSC Experience posted by Uzo on August 08, 2010 at 02:52:27:

Interesting experience! My personal experience during My service year is one I cannot forget in a hurry.

For fresh corpers here is an article on Things you can do during NYSC to stand better chances of winning masters scholarships to study abroad.
http://www.afterschoolafrica.com/2010/10/how-nysc-experience-can-win-you-masters.html




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