Alphadale pledges to support Young Writers in Developing Countries whose dream is to become a published writer. Each year we will award one gift, the Mango Award, of assistance to a Young Person to help them on the path to becoming a writer.
Details coming soon
I was completely traumatised, but nothing would change Dad’s mind, and I could see my dream of going to journalism college after graduating properly from school disappearing into thin air. Dad was determined to carry out his intentions and even enrolled me as a pupil for the commercial training. I shed many tears and pleaded with him to reconsider, all to no avail.
Hoping for a miracle as a final try, I fronted up to the Headmaster at Christ Church, a strict but caring person, and begged him to speak to Dad. He told me he was satisfied that I had excellent grades especially in English language and literature, and could see no reason for me not completing my education – he was even prepared to waive my school fees for the last year, so that I could achieve my dream.
Thereupon Dad was invited for an interview with the Headmaster who tried to persuade him to let me achieve my ambition, but Dad was determined that he knew what was best for his own children, and in his opinion girls got married so soon when they grew up, that all this fancy further education seemed to be a waste of time! Abjectly humiliated I had to accept the ultimatum, and left school to go to commercial college at the tender age of 15. I felt very bitter towards Dad for a long time, but time is a great healer and I learned to adjust, making many new friends at the commercial college among the girls and accepting my fate of becoming a stenographer instead of a writer.
