Working Lives

Working Lives: The Bricklayer Who Wants To Stop Child Trafficking

Working Lives: The Bricklayer Who Wants To Stop Child Trafficking

“My future plan is to stop child trafficking. I want to create awareness so people of my kind can fulfill their dreams instead of coming to Nigeria for greener pastures. Many parents still see this country as a place where they can earn big money, so they push their child to suffer without giving them proper Education.”

What is your name and where are you from?

My name is Segun Ojo and I am from Benin Republic.

Tell me about your education.

I never had the opportunity of going to school. My father, like every other man in my hometown, married a lot of wives with the aim of giving birth to a lot of children whom they would force into child labor to enrich themselves. They send their kids to developing nations like Nigeria to work as house helps. I was one of the victims. My father married five women and I was one of the numerous children he got from his marriages. I have some siblings I haven’t met and some I must have met, and did not know we came from the same loins. So, when I ought to be in school learning, I was already working to earn my keep.

Tell me about your family.

I was born into a polygamous family. My father who was a farmer and also a fisherman married five wives, my mother sells fish and she is also into farming. My father gave birth to 17 children, and I am the 7th child and the second child of my mother. My father died in 2007 but my mother is still alive and healthy.

Are you married?

Yes, I am married with 3 children. My wife and kids are in my country-Benin Republic, I visit them once or twice a year, but we talk often on the phone. My wife is a petty trader.

When and why did you come to Lagos?

I came to Lagos at the tender age of 12 years. A woman came to pick me up with the promise of getting me a job in Lagos. Nigeria’s currency at the time was much stronger than our currency, when the woman told them the amount I would be earning yearly, their eyes widened, and my parents saw Nigeria as their own London. I was taken from my parents, unaware that I was coming to Lagos to work as a house help.

Also Read: Working Lives: The Bricklayer Who Wants To Teach Every Nigerian a Skill For Free

She took me to a place I later discovered to be Surulere, she changed my name to another name, I did not understand the reason for the change of name. After a year of working with the family, she took me to another family. I worked as a house help for more than 10 years, during this period my earnings were paid directly to the woman who brought me to Lagos. I never saw nor touched the money I earned.

How did you become a bricklayer?

I became a bricklayer through the mercy of GOD. I was tired of working as a house help. I did all the work and I never saw any of my income. I wanted my freedom from that way of life. I carefully planned my out.  I stole a sum of N10,000 from my employer since I never learned to read or write. I told someone to help me write a letter to her stating why I ran away with her money and that she should deduct it from my salary. I headed to Ikorodu where I knew no one, I had no place to stay or sleep. On my first night there, I saw a church having a program and I joined the service. After the service I met with the pastor and explained to him what happened but I never told him I ran away with someone’s money. I told him I was homeless out of the goodness of his heart; he accommodated me. Luckily for me, the pastor was an engineer who oversees building construction. I started following him to the site, and from there I started learning from his bricklayers until I became a professional. While working with him I was able to save enough to rent an apartment of my own. Looking back, I do not regret the choice I made by running away from my employer, if I had not taken that decision, I would still be stuck being a house help.

Did you go through training before you started working as a bricklayer? How many years did you train?

Yes. I trained for three years before becoming a bricklayer. Prior to this time I worked as a laborer to earn money to feed and clothe myself. Bricklaying is not an easy job but God saw me through and I was able to adapt because I was a hard worker.

How much do you earn daily/monthly?

When I started as a laborer, I was paid N1,500 per day but when I started as a bricklayer working with the pastor, I collected any amount he gave me, sometimes N3, 000 and sometimes N4, 000.

Also Read: Working Lives:  The Kogi Man Who Chose Bricklaying Over Becoming a Medical Doctor

Do you have savings and how much do you save?

I don’t have any savings; after deducting money for my daily expenses such as feeding and clothing, I send the rest of my income to my wife in Benin. I believe the money would be more useful to me there than here in Nigeria.

How many hours do you work in a day and how many days of the week?

I do not have fixed working hours. In most places that I have worked, we always have rooms to sleep in, so we work till late at night and continue immediately after the day is bright.

Where do you live and how much do you pay for rent?

I do not pay rent. I live in a free house at Ojokoro in Ikorodu. The house belongs to the pastor’s friend. It is newly built and furnished. I am living there till we find a buyer.

How long have you been working as a bricklayer and for how much longer do you see yourself in it?

This is my 7th year as a bricklayer and I see myself working as a bricklayer until I die.

Do you enjoy working as a bricklayer?

Yes. Bricklaying is a job I love. It has made my dream of being independent come true. Now I can afford to feed myself and also feed my family.

How much do you spend in a day?

I spend less than N1,000 daily on food. I eat bread with beans in the morning and support it with water for the rest of the day. I know how to manage myself. I know where I am coming from and I have plans for my life so I do not spend anyhow. 

Would you want to further your education?

No. I just want to make money for now.

What are your future plans?

My future plan is to stop child trafficking. I want to create awareness so people of my kind can fulfill their dreams instead of coming to Nigeria for greener pastures. Many parents still see this country as a place where they can earn big money, so they push their child to suffer without giving them proper Education. I want to put a stop to child exploitation, and child labor. No child deserves their childhood stolen from them. Let’s allow children to be children. Children are not adults who should work to earn their living. The duty of the parent is to provide. A failed parent should not push responsibilities on the child. I do not want children of this generation to experience the same thing I had to pass through.

Obande Friday

Friday is a Mass Communication graduate of The Polytechnic of Ibadan. He has four years of content development experience. He loves lifting weights in his spare time.

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