*Mr and Mrs Nwaogbe
A Nigerian couple, Mr. John and Theresa Nwaogbe are literally over the moon as they celebrate the graduation of their last child from the University.
Their son, Chimaobi Nwaogbe, on Wednesday, graduated from Towson University in Towson, Maryland, the United States of America.
Speaking at a reception to celebrate the graduand, the couple said they were grateful to God for his guidance in raising their four children through the university, without any falling into the usual vices associated with the environment and peer pressure.
According to Mrs. Theresa Nwaogbe, a health worker, “Raising a child in the USA, is not an easy task. To the glory of God, our last child graduated from the university today. I can tell you that some may find it easy to bring up their children from infancy to adulthood here, but the majority find it to be a hectic job.
“Environmental factors affect upbringing in the United States. Children are exposed to everything, good and bad at an early age. Some kids essentially raised themselves because their mom and dad had to work to pay the bills. There is pressure everywhere.”
“Looking back now, I give myself and my husband a pass mark on this job. I’ll say pass mark because my children looked at me once and said, “Mum, you and Daddy did everything well, but the only thing you didn’t do is teach us to speak Igbo.” All I can say now, is thank you, Lord as I give credit to my husband, who supported me throughout the journey of raising our children through college.
Nwaogbe, said part of how they pulled off raising their children with solid values can also be attributed to the kindred spirit in the diaspora. “There was a huge kindred spirit when we arrived here. When I joined my husband in America, the kindred spirit was very thick. Today, people don’t do brotherhood things again, instead everyone is engaged in unnecessary competition among themselves.
When I came to the US, the late Reverend Irondi and Mama Irondi, supported me without question. I didn’t know them, but as soon as they heard that I was from Onicha Ngwa, they took me in as their daughter.
“Again, it takes a community to raise a child, just the way we do it in Nigeria. I thank Ndi Ngwa as a whole for the part they played in the raising of the kids. I thank the people who came up with NNAUSA. The Ngwa Convention every year helped shape my children, taught them cultural values and etiquette. They recognized that we have a culture, especially, that family comes first and the importance of respecting elders.”
While encouraging parents to try their best in being in the lives of their children, Mrs. John Nwaogbe said, “everyone has their own journey or story to tell about raising their kids. My special thanks goes to my mother, Lolo Ezinne Goodness Nwagu who contributed immensely to the upbringing of my children. My prayer is for God to continue to help us support our children in their journey of life. I encourage Ndi Ngwa in the US to continue the good job they are all doing to raise their kids.”
Chimaobi, the celebrant, is the youngest of four Nwaogbe children.
