I discovered why at 33

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By Newton Ray
“The two most important days of a man’s life are the days on which he was born and the day on which he discovers why” - Mark Twain
I embraced Software Engineering shortly after I woke up from a hunger-induced nap (another day's story!) with an idea to build an online platform that would change the course of social. That was on February 11, 2018 in my little studio apartment in Lagos, Nigeria. I was 30 already.
As a journalist with Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees in English Language and Literary Studies that should naturally be a mere dream, a day dream, in fact, - usually less in hierarchy in the variation of meaningful dreams - in my opinion, of course. I told myself I was disillusioned; hunger was the apparent cause. I will get up, get something to eat and get on with my life.
But it’s exactly three years today, the voice of that idea has continued to cry resoundingly for expression in my heart. It refused to be quiescent. When many were certain I was uncertain about my convictions, in plentiful times of confusion, abandonment, regrets, failures, tears and rejections, it billows re-assurances and echoes of hope.
It started in June 2018 when I presented a prototype design of my idea to a Silicon Valley-based Venture Capitalist, a lady of storied exploits in technology, who had come to Lagos, Nigeria to talk to women about tech. To this day, I can’t tell what might have possessed her or what fascinated her about a less than average interface of Uvuru, but she looked at me straight in the eye and said, “You should not hire someone to build this for you. You should build this yourself.”
“Me?”
“Build it myself?”
I studied English Language. I understand they call it Programming Language. But these were walls apart. But that didn’t convince her. She took my number and email address. And that was the beginning of a mother and child relationship.
By the end of 2018, I had gained an entry to a tuition-free Software Engineering School in Silicon Valley, California. And that was how I began my journey to Software. She was there all the way: to pick me from the airport, to drive me around Sans Francisco - she basically introduced me to the world of tech - Integration, Artificial Intelligence, community service and love for Africa - Nigeria in particular. She became my mentor.
Today, I am studying Software Engineering in the United States - learning computer languages from C+, to Python, to Flutter(dart), adding one programming language after another. Last December, I completed a certification training as a Clinical Data Manager and Database Developer skilled in building and managing database CRFs for clinical research using Medidate Rave 5.6.4. Yet, I hear the echoes of that cry in my heart for more.
With the continuous training programs, I also have recorded many challenging moments especially living in a foreign land toppled by the recent and rude intrusion of Coronavirus into our personal and corporate destinies. But when you find your “thing” no one or “nothing” takes it from you. With every obstacle has always followed the opportunity for adjustment and adaptation.
After nearly a year of building my first software application and website, with robust collaborative efforts of three young Nigerian developers and friends in the US and India, Mamaket - a solution for Nigeria and Africa - was born. The beta version of the solution was launched on Google Playstore On January 4th 2021.
Although there is so much work ahead of me, I can finally say that the journey has just begun. I discovered why at 33. You too can.

 


www.mamaket.com

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