A friend of mine, who works with an events management company, came home from an event this weekend with a memorial programme of late Mrs. Marion Dorothy Sikuade. I read her personal profile and my mind has been fired up. Here is an abridged version of her life and achievements. She was a change agent.
• She was born 6th May, 1930 in England
• Studied History at the university of Hull
• Met a young Nigeria at Hull in 1954 and married him in April, 1957
• Arrived Lagos with her husband in 1958
• Was vice principal of Lagos Anglican Girls’ grammar School for 9 years
• Served as vice principal of Queen’s College for three and a half years during the civil war
• Was assistant on secondary education to the ministry of education in August,1972. Where they laboured to set up Unity schools all over the country.
• Oversaw the setting up of the department of adult and non-formal education in the ministry of education.
• Became a consultant to the National commission for literacy, adult and non-formal education in 1991.
• In 1994, with a small group of colleagues and friends set up a small non-governmental organization (NGO) which they call “Child Life Line”. With the objective of caring for children in need; including homeless and street children.
• She continued to champion the cause of the NGO until her demise on 26th January, 2013
Here was a woman with a burning passion for education and a passionate devotion for helping children, the needy and the helpless. So much sacrifice for a nation she “married” into.
“No one really dies as long as there are people to remember them”. Ma Sikuade, you live on in the hearts of all whose lives she has touched. I never met you, but your life has inspired me. sun re o!!!!!!
CHILDLIFELINE
http://childlifeline.org/652/index.html

Mrs. Marion Sikuade was an uncommon person, I will always attest to her uniqueness. If you're talking about courageous self-sacrificing people, Mrs. Sikuade is on top of the list. Her organization took me out of the street in 1997 at the age of 12yrs. I was sheltered in the child life-line's dormitory with other kids of my peer. They funded my secondary and tertiary education for the next 10yrs. I was given foods and clothes, care and accommodation. I'm self-sustaining now, and no longer on the street. Raising my own family under the roof I paid for. Gratitude to Child life-line.
This organization does more than clothing and lodging poor children. They give those children the rights that they are deprived of, through no faults of their own.