The journey

Beginning of a journey doesn't determine the end of the journey.

I don't think of myself as a poor deprived ghetto girl who made good.

I think of myself as somebody who from an early age knew I was responsible for myself, and I had to make good.

My name is Josephine Akin. My family is not a regular kind of family that the parents have to look out for their children. But rather it was the opposite. My parents gave birth to 3 children of which I am the only girl and the first born.

I wasn't privileged to enjoy a fun lovely childhood like other children in our neighborhood. I was raised in a ghetto. For the fact I have an indiscipline parents I have, Sorry I have to use that word to describe their insane behavior. I was made to take responsibility for myself and my two younger brother at such a young age. Hence, I don't know anything called shame. I have to ensure I am a literate at least, So people don't call me illiterate. Seriously sponsoring myself was never easy. I have to put my hands into a lot of dirty things, which literally people of my age shouldn't do, and a lady never supposed to get themselves there.

Don't forget I wasn't just looking out for myself alone I was looking out for my siblings as well. My dad never for once intend training a girl child to school. But at least he do consider my two brothers which help me a little, though I know it won't last long. He stopped after sometime, he couldn't meet up with their school fees and lot more. This is just the beginning of my story.

I was just 5 years when I understood that this world isn't all nice as one think it is. You have to sweat to get everything including getting pure water to drink. I grew up fast and quickly I started thinking like an adult, Never for once did I think like my age mate. Neither did I consider myself as a child, I always want to be better than my parents, looking out for my younger ones and taking full responsibility for my actions and life.

I joined an organization that they called Upgrade Society of Nigeria. What we do here is to steal money, not from small peopl, but from companie, bank, we hack into their system and remove all their money leaving nothing behind, we don't do that alone though, we loan people money and asked them to pay back with lot of interest, anyone who doesn't pay at the due date suffers like criminal, and will be forced to let go of what they used as collateral, and still have to work for them. A lot of time I want to beg on some people behalf, but I can't really do that, sometimes they take the children of the people owing them as their new recruit, they do a lot of dirty things in that organization, things that normally the society won't tolerate, they always do it, and escape from law, because the law is on their side. You know as Lagos life be, Me self no send anybody. I was giving a privilege to chose what I want to do there, I picked computer, because it doesn't involve lot of killing, is just stealing, and I don't see anything wrong in taking what supposed to be mine. I was taught hacking at such a young age.

I never care much about other part of the organization, I never try to get involve in something that isn't my business, I tried to mind my very own work and be dedicated to it. The person that recruit me, find me in the street selling pure water, my madam i was working for then use to beat the living hell out of me, until Mr. Alexander Dele found me when I was struggling with her. He introduced me into the organization and took me as a new recruit under him, he find interest in me, I never understood why though, but as they say just mind your business and never poke nose on something that never affect you. I tried my best to stay out of trouble, so my boss doesn't see reasons to remove me from the organization, I was so loyal to him. I don't even care if they is higher bosses, I just only know sir Alex, whom I respect and pay salama to. He ensure I get a nice cut in ever operation I carried out successfully, he ensure I have what I came there for, he always look out for me. To me he was my role model and my father figure.

It wasn't difficult for me to blend in. I became a worker there at age 11, life never reasoned me as a young child, it was tough. They trained me on how to defend myself in any mission. I started going to risky mission at age 15. I was so good in my area. I was called Hacker because of the level I have attained, I started teaching via online, my own class, that is my side hustle, and I was earning a lot from it.

I sponsor myself to university level. Now this is where it all begins. The journey to get my hands on something no one else can. I have to fight my way to get there. My first day in university wasn't that great for me. I wasn't use to this lifestyle, I maneuver my way through secondary school, I skip lot of classes, I doubt if I have ever been a student once in my life. To blend with other people who aren't my level was difficult for me. I'm happy I gained admission to my dream career (Law), that is my joy and happiness. I always want to be a freedom fighter barrister. That is defending the weak in life. But like they say, nothing good comes easy in life, you have to pass through a lot to achieve a greater height.

My journey to unreachable star just begin.