Meet Janjay Zeon, who has not given up in life despite how unfortunate she was to be uneducated. She is living in Grand Bassa County, Buchanan City with her children after the death of her husband. She sells donuts to take care of the children and support their education.
Decontee: What is your name?
Janjay: I am Janjay Zeon
Decontee: How are you doing?
Jyanjay: I am doing great, and I thank God for life.
Decontee: How was life when you were growing up?
Janjay: I was living with my mother and things was challenging for us, even at this time I still sit and think about how life has been so unlucky for me. I never entered a classroom at all because things were so hard. My father took me to my aunty place in the interior to stay because we never had it. Living with her was just the same as living with my mother because she never had the hand to send me to school as well. All we did was to make farms and live life like I was never going to grow up to have a future. I was with my aunty untill I reached the age to live on my own. I met my husband at age 19. Together with him we had nine children before he died and after his death, it was another challenge for me. Today, among my children, only two there are in school and the rest of them are sitting home because there is no support to go to school
Decontee: Where are you and your children living currently?
Janjay: My children and I are living here in Buchanan after my husband died, that is how my brother sent for me and the children stay with him here in Grand Bassa.
Decontee: How old are you?
Janjay: I was born in February, 1978
Decontee: What are you doing for living?
Janjay: For the past eight years, I have been selling donuts for fees for me and my children. The donut is actually for someone. I will sell and give her the market money then we share the profit. At times I feel ashamed selling donuts on the street as old as I am but, I will never give up. I know there is no life here for me again but I am doing it for my children’s future.
Decontee: Who do you want to become in the future?
Janjay: I had two things in mind, I wanted to become a journalist and also a nurse. I wanted to save lives but this is where life put me and I love to see young girls in this profession; that is why I always encourage my two children in school to pay attention to their lessons.
Decontee: What do you make of women empowerment?
Janjay: For women to be empowerment is a good thing; women always help their friends when they are in higher positions. For example, since the death of my husband, my sister has been helping me throughout. Every week, she sent me money for food for the children and myself to have to eat. I feel shame at times because for six years now she has been helping me.
Decontee: Do you have any message of encouragement before you leave?
Janjay: I am going to talk to my young girls. There is nothing in street life; we lived with our parents during those days and they always advised us to take time with life even though we were not educated but we followed their advice. But nowadays when you are talking to young women, they will not listen but do what they please, and that is why they are not who they are supposed to be. Nowadays, there are so many things you can learn apart from sitting in class, but you are misusing the opportunity to live a better life. If I had all these opportunities during that time I was younger than, I am not where I am today, bcause I was going to put all my efforts in. No learned woman can leave over in life, if you are educated you are every man’s dream, rather than being at age 13 or 15 and leaving education because of man business. Go to school and the best in life that is all I can say.
