Growing Up In Africa: A Destiny Fulfilled - A True Story of Courage, Optimism and Determination in the face of Adversities

by Dr. Benjamin Ogbonna

Overview

This book is about a man who had a dream at a very tender age and lived the dream despite all the odds that were stacked against him. With his missionary parents, working in remote parts of Nigeria in the fifties, a period where basic amenities were not available, the dream could have been described as a "pipe dream". Despite several episodes of events that could pass as miraculous and near-death situations, the writer marched on undaunted.
A ferocious civil war that claimed the lives of several of his friends did not deter him having survived it. A mouth-watering job opportunity with Caritas International at the end of the civil war for food distribution was rejected because it was considered likely to interfere with the opportunity of achieving the dream of becoming a doctor.
Every human being is born into the world with his or her destiny written on the palms of our hands. Only a few are gifted, and genuinely so, with the knowledge to decipher this.
The path we take towards achieving this destiny is akin to wandering through a maze. Finding your way through this maze of life is influenced by several obstacles all aimed at preventing you from finding your way through it doing so.
Success will depend on several factors of which divine intervention plays a significant part. Parental guidance, as is the case with me, is also a strong factor.
Right from childbirth, children show certain traits which ultimately determine what they grow up to become. It is the responsibility of parents therefore to show interest in the development of their children and to guide them all along the way towards achieving their destiny.
This responsibility should on no account be left at the discretion of teachers especially during the early formative years. The intense pressure and demands of modern life should on no account be an excuse to abandon this important parental duty.
My parents featured prominently in this book, and I owe my success in life to them.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940162902638
Publisher:	Covenant Books
Publication date:	09/01/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	317 KB

About the Author

The author is a naturalized United States citizen, an African immigrant, originally from Nigeria.
He has four children and three grandchildren, all at various stages of their academic pursuit.
The early stage of the author’s life, as depicted in this book, was in the ‘50s in Nigeria. It is remarkable that the author was able to remember and recount events that occurred in his life, even at the tender age of three.
He was educated in Nigeria until he obtained his degree in medicine from the University of Nigeria in 1975. After completing the one-year horsemanship and the compulsory one-year national service programmes, he proceeded to the United Kingdom for specialization in obstetrics and gynaecology. He completed this programme in 1983 and was subsequently admitted as a fellow in the specialty by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in London United Kingdom (FRCOG).
His experience in his field of specialization was acquired from three continents where he practiced—Africa, Europe, and Asia.
He is the author of several publications in reputable international journals in obstetrics and gynaecology.
His interest in maternal health led to the publication of his book titled Pregnancy: A continuing source of sorrow and pain for women in sub-Saharan Africa.
He has also written articles aimed at women’s health in Nigeria. Two recent feature articles in Nigeria-world website come to mind: “The Demystification of Uterine Fibroid” and “Female Genital Cancer—Prevention Better Than Cure.”
Currently, he undertakes lecture schedule in the United States and Nigeria on maternal health with emphasis on maternal mortality during childbirth.