Humble Beginnings: Bole Bamboi MP narrates how he was denied secular education for fear of becoming a Christian

In a remarkable tale of perseverance and determination, Yussif Sulemana, the Member of Parliament for Bole Bamboi, shares his incredible journey from being denied a secular education until the age of 13 due to fears of religious conversion.

In a heartfelt recounting of his past, Yussif Sulemana, the Member of Parliament for Bole Bamboi, revealed the extraordinary obstacles he faced in pursuing secular education.

Born into a Muslim family, Sulemana's path to formal schooling was a challenging one, marked by societal norms and religious concerns.

He began by explaining, "I started my basic education as a Muslim, where you needed to attend an Arabic school. It was not even allowed for me to go to a regular school, so I had to start with Arabic School."

However, young Sulemana's thirst for knowledge soon led him to venture into the world of secular education against all odds while he accompanied his friend to school hanging around by the window.

"I remember one time I followed one of my friends by the name of Labaran to RC Primary School," Sulemana continued.

"Normally, what I would do is wait for him to finish, and then we would continue our friendship. On this particular day, I was standing by the window, watching whatever was happening on the board."

Sulemana's foray into the world of secular education was not without challenges. He explained, "When I was in the Arabic School, our parents accepted that some English should be taught, but it wasn't formal education in terms of secular education." However, his determination would soon shine through.

"On this particular day, I was waiting for my friend to finish his class, and I was watching the teacher as they were struggling to answer a question," he recounted. "Spontaneously, I answered because I was there when the teacher started, and I was able to provide the answer."

The young Sulemana's courage and quick thinking did not go unnoticed. "The lady teacher became shocked and asked who was that, but I had to run away," he recalled.

"However, she came out looking for me, and my friend owned up that I was his friend, and I was waiting for him to finish class for us to go hunting," he added.

This pivotal moment led to a chain of events that would alter Sulemana's life trajectory. "The teacher reported the case to the head of the school, coincidentally, the headmaster was a friend of my father," he explained. "At one point, the headmaster had convinced my father to bring his children to school, but he was adamant."

Sulemana then unveiled the deeply rooted fear within his community that shaped his early life choices. "The belief was that if you go to school, you end up becoming a Christian," he revealed. "In a particular community in Bole, to be precise, and I can tell you those days, over 99.5 percent of the children were not in secular school. So, I was one of them."

Despite these formidable obstacles, Sulemana's persistence and the persuasive efforts of the headmaster eventually paved the way for his formal education.

He noted, "I had to start school through the efforts of the headmaster. But a challenge was that until I graduated from the Quran, I wouldn't be allowed to attend regular school."

Sulemana's journey into formal education was marked by its own set of challenges, including class placement issues due to his age and size.

"Given my age and size, Primary 3 was full," he recalled. "So it was not possible for them to put me in Primary 3. I was taken to Primary 4, which was also full. So I started my formal education from Primary 5."

Today, Yussif Sulemana stands as a Member of Parliament, a testament to the power of determination and the importance of breaking down barriers to education.

His story is a beacon of hope and an inspiration to all those who strive to overcome adversity in pursuit of knowledge and a better future.

NAY/WA

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