- Joy Ihezie graduated from UNICAL in 2015
- After years of receiving meager salaries teaching in private schools, she quit her job and took up keke tricycle riding
- She advises Nigerian youths to be productive no matter how small by engaging in lawful jobs
For Joy Amarachi Ihezie, life is full of challenges and obstacles. Again, her life is a manifestation of the old time axiom that what a man can do, a woman can as well do it, and sometimes even more perfectly.
After graduating from University of Calabar, UNICAL Cross River state in the department of Sociology, Miss Ihezie took up Keke riding as a means of survival while looking for better opportunity.
WITHIN NIGERIA had an exclusive chat with her and she narrated why she decided to go into transportation industry.
Excerpts
In the beginning
My name is Joy Amarachi Ihezie. I am from Obowu local government area of Imo state. I reside in Uvwie local government area of Delta state.
I studied Sociology from the University of Calabar, UNICAL in Cross River state. I graduated in 2015.
My search for job
After my graduation and NYSC, I looked for job but only job I could easily see is teaching in private school. Teaching is something I like doing, anyway but the salary is very poor. Then they paid me N15,000. Later I got one that I was paid N20,000. Again, later I got one where they paid me N40,000 and the stress was so much. The work load was so much. It does not equate the amount I was paid.
One thing that pained me is that apart from the stress I go through in teaching, the director of the school would always talk me down as if I was not adding any value to the school. It was at that point that I decided to quit the teaching job.
My decision to go into Keke riding
After I quit my teaching job, I was still not ready to stay idle. So, in 2021, I decided to go into Keke riding by going into hire purchase. This Keke tricycle you see now was under hire purchase for a period of a year and six months at one million, two hundred thousand naira which I have liquidated. So, for now, the Keke I ride belongs to me.
My feelings/challenges
I know Keke riding is very stressful. Sometimes I get skin burn. My body becomes so black. It also comes with a lot of body ache. I know it is not something that will be easy but I am managing it. There is also hazards on the road like accident. But all in all I like the job, despite these challenges. I make average of N3000 to N4000 daily.
How passengers feel seeing a female Keke rider
Initially, it was frightening. Some passengers were scared while others were excited.When I started the business newly, many passengers were afraid, thinking that I might drive them into accident or something like that. Others saw it as an opportunity to be driven by a female Keke rider. It was a two way thing.
My relationship with male keke riders
Some of my male counterparts are happy while others are not. Some will always encourage me, saying yes, it is good that you come out to see how difficult it is to make money. Others make jest of me, asking me “so you feel you can drag this work with us.” So it is a two way situation. I have some friends in the business who are happy with me for my doggedness.
My parents’ reaction to my Keke business
When I told my parents about going into Keke business, my dad never supported me. He kicked against it saying it can not happen. He said how can his graduate daughter engage in Keke tricycle riding. What will people say about him and his daughter? But my mum encouraged me, saying there is nothing wrong with the idea.
My ambition in life
Despite my current job as a Keke rider, I still have an ambition in life. I am not going to stay in this business long. I will like to own my own school where I will impact positively on the society, care for children and give them necessary knowledge.
My advice to Nigerian youths
I want to advise Nigerian youths especially graduates not to wait for white collar job. They should go out of their way and find something doing. They should not stay idle. There was one of my lecturers back then in school who will always tell us that it is not everyone that will get job after graduation. So, I advise them engage in whatever is legit to earn a living. They shouldn’t wait for state job, federal job or private job. Let me engage in lawful job to earn a living. They should motivate themselves.