By August 2017, planning started as I took two days off work and made it to Unilag where I met with the student representatives and the staff advisor. Everything seemed to be going perfectly, until Monday 14th August, the planned commencement date of BeyondaDegree, the strike was confirmed!!!
How could it be? This meant we could not have BaD 4.0 until the strike is called off!!! This was very discouraging.
About 6 weeks later, the strike was called off. It was a very busy season for me at work so I had little time to plan. It was like starting the planning again, mobilizing the team (internal and external), venue sourcing, ….
The student’s exams were scheduled to start about 2 weeks after the strike was called off. One of the student representatives told me it is not advisable to hold the programme again this year.
A new week started and I drove to the office, tired from am not sure what. Immediately I parked, I called one of the team member –
Me: Peter I am considering calling it off, it does not seem like it will happen.
Peter: No, let’s crash from one week to a one day event, like we had for BaD 1.0 and 2.0.
Me: Thanks that’s true, we can do that.
Somehow, I gained renewed energy. We had less than a week to plan for it and I still had deliverables at work.
Even with the decision to continue the event, there were many challenges:
Venue sourcing: On Thursday, I realized we couldn’t get a venue, we had picked a public holiday and the classes are expected to be closed. We tried and tried to persuade the portal to come for few hours but it was not fruitful. Eventually we decided to use the “relaxation centre”. The relaxation centre is an open place, the sides are barely closed, but we were grateful enough to have it for the event.
Team member falls ill: One of our key facilitators sent me a text a day to the event that she was ill and was not sure she will make it. On the day of the event, she confirmed she won’t be able to make it. She sent in her thoughts and plans.
Stadium loud music: I got to the relaxation centre that morning and there was a loud music from the sports centre. Remember, the venue was open (no doors or windows) so we took in the entire noise.
Incredible Rain: Our programme is scheduled to start by 10:00am, by 9:57am, the rain started. It was heavy!!! It came pouring into the venue and everywhere was wet. It must have rained for about 20 mins plus but I experienced this calming and peace. We tried to get another venue but realized it was near impossible. We decided to work with what we had, the relaxation centre. We cleaned it up and by 11:00am we started BeyondaDegree 4.0
Did the students turn up even with the rain, yes they did. Did the stadium music stop? Yes I noticed after the rain it disappeared!! Perhaps the rain was sent to take care of it.
Did the facilitators make it? Yes they did but one person. Was it an impactful event? Yes it was. Did God make it all beautiful? Yes He certainly did!
My joy is full and am so glad!!!
Has God asked you to do something and it seems so difficult and challenging? Take the step, do it!! Trust him to make a way, He certainly always makes a way!!!
Wondering what BeyondaDegree is? It is an annual initiative I started 4 years ago with a team of mostly Economics Unilag graduates. We prepare penultimate and final year Economics students in Unilag for Life after school (this year we had some awesome 100 and 200 level students). We share our experience after graduation and prepare them to harness the opportunities available after school.