I had waited for this moment for months. I packed my bags, got my provisions ready, prepared my mind, and even had my hair done. I was ready for Rivers State or so I thought. Then the unexpected happened. It wasn’t Rivers State anymore. It was now Abia State.
It felt like the ground beneath me shifted. I couldn’t hold back my tears. I wanted to reject it, but there was nothing I could do. The only option was to accept it.
When I first registered for NYSC, I was eager and full of hope. My initial deployment to Rivers State had felt like a small victory. With the assurance that my permanent practicing license would be ready before camp resumed, I mentally and physically prepared myself. Little did I know that the Medical Laboratory Science Council had other plans. The license was delayed, and I couldn’t travel to Rivers.
So, I waited. Two long months. During that time, I ate through all my provisions, and my hair desperately needed a change. All I could do was hope for the best, to be sent back to Rivers or, at least, somewhere more preferable. It’s not like NYSC cared about anyone’s personal interests, but I kept the hope alive. Rivers wasn’t even my dream state, but I could see myself living there and shaping my aspirations into reality.
Finally, the wait was over. It was midnight when I refreshed the page, eager to see my new deployment. The website struggled to load, overwhelmed by countless others like me trying to learn their fate. And then I saw it: Abia State. My heart sank. Tears followed.
I was lying in bed when I saw the news, but I stood up immediately. My first instinct was to double-check, hoping my tired eyes had misread it. But there it was, clear as day. Abia State. I wailed and rolled on the floor of my small room, consumed by disappointment.
I thought I’d feel happy or at least indifferent when the call-up letter arrived. My plan was to glance at it, sleep, and head to the park the next morning. Instead, I found myself overwhelmed with despair.
If I had my way, I’d have abandoned NYSC entirely. But I wanted this, not the way it presented itself, but the way I had imagined it. The timing couldn’t have been worse. My hair care line was just gaining traction, and my content creation career was starting to catch the attention of local brands. NYSC forced everything to a halt.
I knew NYSC would disrupt my plans, but I had hoped for a smoother path. I thought Rivers or any other manageable state would let me juggle my ambitions with service. But Abia? It felt like life had thrown stones into my carefully laid plans.
To make things worse, Abia was far from home. A grueling 15-hour road trip awaited me. When I arrived, I was met with a mix of familiarity and strangeness. The people, animals, and trees were like home, but the hills and language reminded me I was far away.
Camp was an adjustment. I volunteered at the clinic as a medical laboratory scientist, hoping to keep my stress to a minimum. I also applied for relocation, clinging to the hope of being redeployed to a better state. But then came another surprise.
I was posted to a village.
As if Abia State wasn’t enough, now I faced the prospect of working in a remote area. I laughed, not because it was funny, but because crying wouldn’t change anything. My worst fears about NYSC were being realized. When I first registered, I prayed for a placement in a developed area, somewhere that could support my content creation dreams. Instead, I was sent to a village.
Six months later, I’m still here. And while the journey hasn’t been easy, I can say this: the stones life threw at me have laid the foundation for something greater.
It took me a long time to accept this new reality and even longer to adapt. The village forced me to slow down, to be patient with myself and with life.
Looking back, I realize that life has a way of pulling the rug from under you. But it also teaches you how to stand on uneven ground. Abia wasn’t what I expected, nor was the village. But who truly knows the right path to their goals? Perhaps the best lessons come from the places we least want to be.
Glossary:
• NYSC: National Youth Service Corps
• PPA: Place of Primary Assignment
All images featured are mine.
Thank you for reading my story.