From forest to farmland—A tale of courage

Chika Obani

Travelling to my hometown in Ezikpi-Egberemiri Eziudo always gave me the opportunity to engage my grandparents. During our conversations, they would always give me the same career advice, “Be hardworking, respect authority and never forsake God in your ambitions”. 

On the 3rd of Jan. 2021, I went to meet grandma to inform her of my return trip set for the next day. At this point, Grandpa had passed, in September of 2020, at the age of 107. But something strange happened. After giving me the usual career advice, she shared a personal career experience. Grandma and Grandpa both worked as teachers, going outside their hometowns like missionaries to other locales in other states to spread the fire of education. They did for over 30 years prior to retirement. 

Going to grandma, she began by saying that she and grandpa worked well at a particular mission (mission, because the school administration was the catholic church in this case), that they spent over 17years at that same mission and when they sought for a transfer, the community refused to let them go. This was until my grandpa convinced them otherwise with a saying, “when a woman has two lovers she draws the better one closer”, in summary, he meant that the community should allow other communities to have a taste of what good looks like. 

Why were my grandparents so successful with this community? 

My grandma made me understand that certain events that occurred during their early days in the community led to this success. After their first night at the school compound, they received visitors from the community the next morning saying, “we came to see if you and your family were able to survive the night.”

What an outrageous question? The visitors explained to my grandparents that the school compound was surrounded by the community’s evil forest. Of which, one of its many uses included dumping the corpses of children, criminals, unmarried women or women without children. For this reason, none of the teachers sent by the church could stay in that community for long, for fear of ghosts, sight of corpses and for other disturbing events.

After a week, my grandfather had a meeting with the community requesting help to convert parts of the evil forest closest to the school into farmland. The community refused to join him in that enterprise because they believed that anyone who embarked on such an act would die. They would not risk losing their lives to partake on such a crazy mission! Refusing to be discouraged, grandpa took up his tools together with his family and began the dreaded work. 

One week later, more people joined him in the work because they had seen that he did not drop dead as they had expected would be the end result of taking up such daring work. Long story short, after a year’s work, the following things happened: 

Part of the forest closest to the school compound had been transformed into arable land which helped sustain the school family and community for 17 years.

The corpses were no longer thrown about carelessly, those tasked with that disposal had to venture deeper into the forest. 

The apparitions and even the myths surrounding the forest started to wane off from the minds of the people. 

When I heard that story, I thought about how many times I have been afraid of an issue and in sharing with someone else, I was made to see that my ‘evil forest’ could become land for my sustenance.

Is there anything you are presently scared of in your career, relationship or health? why don’t you share that problem with someone? There’s a saying about “a problem shared is half-solved”. 

This year I have made a commitment to seek out opportunities for collaborations. Find people I can help convert their fears to opportunities and people who will transform my fears as well. How about you, what are you committed to do this year? 

From forest to farmland.

Be Bold.

Chika Obani is a global shaper, public speaker, asset integrity engineer, Podcaster, and thought leader. Follow him on LinkedIn @Chika Obani