From Village Poverty to Global Triumph: My 30-Year Journey of Resilience
From Village Poverty to Global Triumph: My 30-Year Journey of Resilience
I lost my father when I was just nine years old. I was born with a silver spoon, but that spoon was quickly taken away when tragedy struck. With his death, we lost everything. All my mother was given were her children—two boys and a girl. To date, the only inheritance I have from my father is a few of his books.
I am not telling this story to brag but to encourage you. Whatever situation you are facing, someone else has been through worse.
Our journey took us from Lagos to a remote village called Ogbinbiri. At that time, Ogbinbiri had no electricity unless you bought a generator, no cars—we traveled only by canoe between villages—no clean water, no hospital, and little hope. I spent 23 years in Ogbinbiri, living in poverty, struggling for food, and depending on the resilience of my extraordinary mother. Later, we moved to Olougba, another remote village without electricity, school, hospital, or clean water. Fishing became our only means of survival. Eventually, we returned to Ogbinbiri, where I managed to attend primary school through the support of my maternal uncles and my mother’s sacrifice. Secondary school was no different; I attended Egbema Secondary School, Ofunama, another village where survival meant farming and endurance.
We were so poor that even poor people called us poor. I didn’t dream of visiting cities like Sapele or Warri. All I wanted was enough food to eat. Yet, despite all odds, I refused to live a wayward life. I grew up in a Christian home where God was my only hope. Our poverty was not because of sin but because of circumstance.
People said I wouldn’t go far. They were right—I went further.
✅ I earned a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering in Europe.
✅ I obtained a Master’s degree in Software Engineering in America.
✅ I completed an MBA in Engineering Management in America.
✅ I earned a PhD in Computer Science in Europe.
✅ I have traveled widely—France, Germany, America, Romania, Canada, Austria, and beyond.
✅ I authored 10 books, including Thinking Brains.
✅ I became a United States Navy Sailor.
✅ I became a United States Citizen.
✅ Today, I work as a Software Engineer in the world’s largest bank.
✅ I founded a charitable foundation that has paid school fees, rents, and empowered thousands of strangers through scholarships, business support, and financial aid.
All of this came not by luck, but by 30 years of consistency, resilience, and determination.
Along the way, I learned crucial lessons:
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Picture the person you want to become and make daily decisions that align with that vision.
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Keep reinventing yourself; expired ideas can stop your progress.
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Stay open-minded to opportunities; not every chance is a scam.
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Don’t depend on others—they owe you nothing.
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Guard your trust; not everyone who smiles at you is a friend.
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Stay hungry for success—turn your pain into motivation.
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Never compare your chapter 4 to someone else’s chapter 60.
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Don’t give up. Even tears and screams are part of the journey, but keep moving.
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Wait for the right timing. Sometimes patience is the hardest work.
From the boy who once had no food to eat, no hope of leaving the village, and no inheritance beyond a few books, I stand today as living proof that greatness is in you.
➡️ Turn your pain into gain.
➡️ Turn your trials into triumphs.
➡️ Turn your mess into a message.
➡️ Turn your adversity into advantage.
Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay right now, then it’s not the end.
If you refuse to give up, I’ll be glad to welcome you at the top.
— Daniel Tanimawo, PhD.
Edited by Odimientimi Agbedeyi PhD
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