Tell me about your FECA story.

My name is Ugwu Joy and I joined FECA in the year 2015. That was when I finished my secondary school. I was invited for Freshers Banquet by some group of FECAites who came to my school that year. I got the invitation from Neme Ikechukwu. As of then, I did not know her, but I still remember she was the one who gave me the invitation and collected my number and other details. But what actually made me come was something else because something caught my attention. When she gave me the invitation, she was like, "What is your name?"

And I told her my name is Joy. Then she said "Ok Joy." Then the invitation she gave me was written, "FECA Odenigbo, with Joy invites you to Freshers Banquet blah blah blah" every other thing was added. So that word, "with" was erased or wiped. It did not show on my invitation. So I was seeing, "...Joy invites you to Freshers Banquet..." So I was like, "Wow, so the person that is organizing the program her name is Joy." And then I asked Neme Ikechukwu whether the person who is hosting the program is bearing Joy as her name and she said "Yes." And then I was like, "Wow, because of that, I will come." Then she said Okay. She collected my phone number and other details and then there was just something about that program that did not just want to leave my mind. I was so conscious of it. And that period, I actually needed a place where I could go and be talked to. I was actually having a lot of issues in my life that time as a youth, a lot of things, a lot of confusions, a lot of stuff were just going on in my mind that time. I was longing to go to a place where I will go and enjoy myself, and have fun. And the program, as they presented it, looked something like what I actually needed.

So I actually went to Freshers Banquet a week before that day. I was thinking that I was late to the program. I think I somehow misplaced the invitation they gave me so I did not know. That is to tell you how eager I was to attend the program. But when I arrived at the venue, I saw no one. Then I was like, "These people have a program today but they are not here and nothing is happening here." So I went back home and later found the invitation they gave me and I checked it; it was the next week! The summary of it is that I could not wait for that day to arrive. I don't know what was pushing me...

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My FECA Story: Exclusive Chat with Ugwu Joy Chinemerem (Part Two)

Go to the beginning of the story.

On the D Day of the Freshers Banquet, I was the first person to enter the hall and I was so excited to see youths. I joined them in arranging the hall and doing every other thing. And then the very first person that I saw when I entered the hall was the same person that gave me the invitation at my school. It was Neme Ikechukwu. When I met her, I asked her, "Are you not the one that came to my school and invited me to this program?" She said "Yes."

What is the name of your school?

The name of my school is Ejiofor International College, at Ofulonu, Nsukka. Then I asked her if she is the Joy. She said no her name is not Joy. So I was like, "Who is now the Joy?" I was actually looking for Joy. I wanted to see her as namesake, you know... She said that there is nobody called Joy in this place. So I was very surprised. I asked her about her name and she said that her name is Chinemerem. I said, "wow." I was looking for Joy, now I'm seeing Chinemerem. It was surprising because my Igbo name is Chinemerem. So I was happy. I saw people whom I could relate to, young people like me. Even though I did not stay till the end of the program, I really enjoyed my stay there in the Freshers Banquet. The package they came with was very interesting, and it was majorly because they were youths, and they were saying things that were interesting. They were not being religious about anything they did. They were just free doing things that were very Christian-like. Because the background Church where I come from is a totally different story. They were not tying their hairs, or looking holy, or wearing long gowns and all that. They were putting on their make-ups and looking good, and yet, these kinds of words are coming out of their mouth, this kind of wisdom was coming out from their mouth. How did they get to know all these things they are saying? Why are they so spiritual yet they don't look it? So all these questions were in my mind and I really enjoyed the program.

I left that day and I could not wait for them to fix another meeting. And then, it was fixed and it was Sisters' Meeting. I came for the Sisters' Meeting.

How did you know about the meeting since you left before the program ended?

Actually, they texted me... There was an attendance book that I wrote my name while entering the hall. I guess they used that list. When I came for the meeting, even though we were just about five persons in the meeting, they made the meeting very interesting. I learnt things that I did not know before. They were simple things but I did not know them before. So all those things started to make me begin to love FECA. So anytime they fix a meeting, I would make sure that I attend. I must come, and they always make it fun, and there is always something to eat... So all these little things kept bringing me and they were even talking about relationship. All my life before then, I had not been in a place where they talk about relationship like that. Where I was coming from, it is as though talking about relationship is meant for married people, or people that are really serious about getting married. it is like a sacred topic...or something like that. But FECAites were talking about it, everybody was happy; people were asking questions freely; questions that normally I would be like, "Ah, why all these questions?" But they were asking them all the way! So I loved it. They were so open and honest. All these things kept bringing me to FECA more and more. Even when I later traveled, they were still reaching out to me in form of text messages because I was writing my final exams in school and I had to go home yet they were still reaching out to me. Because they were still reaching out to me they kept reminding me of FECA, and lots of messages kept me up to date with FECA activities. Thus when I came back to Nsukka, I still went back to their venue to go and check FECA. And this went on and on.

The summary of it is that the set of persons that I met during that time were just good doing what they do and I kept coming. They actually took care of me. Neme Ikechukwu who was the Vice president then was very caring. What actually made me to come back to Nsukka was that when she got admission into UNN, that time, I was about to write my JAMB. So she called me and she was like, "How are you? How far with your exams?" Then I told her, "I'm fine, I am even trying to leave this village oh. I want to come to Nsukka so I could have time to read for my JAMB and all that..." During that time, she got a lodge and she said I could come over lets stay together. That was how I came back, wrote my JAMB. It was as though she was coaching me and I never knew that the whole thing would land me into being her successor. Even me, I was not looking like it...and she said she did not expect me to be her successor.

Before I got admission into the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, I was handed over as the next Vice President of FECA Odenigbo chapter.