Calling On All GSSO and Owerri Metro

[festus]

As the \'reunion\' of the Owerri Metropolitan Schools has become an annual and established event (and we should thanks the crew that made this possible, including those planning to launch a UK version), it is time to also use this forum to further our ultimate aim of \'giving something back\'. My apologies for not attending so far, (at least my man Juice represented us all well), to make up for this I am at the early stages of planning a research project with two partners (an NGO in Owerri and the Migration and Citizenship Imitative) and I will like to involve GSSO, Owerri Girls, Feddy, Holy Ghost college Alumni either as respondents or focus groups. Before I explain what the research project is all about please take time (if you can) to read these stories - follow the links

 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5151740.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4342594.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4292840.stm


Ok you know the story. The project is looking at the whole phenomena of migration and its social consequences. I want people to reflect on their own experiences of moving from Owerri to wherever. Is this how you imagined your life to turn out? Do you know many people who stayed back? Do they want to join you here? What do you tell those at home about your situation? etc. I hope to do some extensive field work in GSSO, Feddy, Holy Ghost College, Ikenegbu Girls etc.

Hopefully after a while I may be able to come to the reunion to do in-depth interviews and generally hang out with y\'all.

If you have any question regarding confidentiality, privacy or any concerns please ask.

festus

[uapo4]

Sir Festus, this will be a good piece of work if you dedicate enough time to it.  Maybe it is time to show up for the metro reunion or the Old boys GSSO reunion, where you can answer all the questions that will be given to you as well as have the chance to interview those who have direct experience.

[festus]

Bros,

You are right, and i am devoted to the project which I think is a prelude to a bigger project (isha Allah, as muslims will say) in Owerri. But I will come to the reunion. I just need to do a preliminary sampling and then identify core groups to do indepth interviews with. But any how, I will attend the reunion some day as a true oggsian.

[otuonye]

Festus,

I think I have a little idea what you are trying to do, however the reasons are not clear yet. Furthermore, maybe like the other guy suggested, this might be time to start attending the re-union [although I have never attended one myself].

You are likely going to meet people who will provide the answers to your questions. By the way, when did you finish from Government College and where exactly are you right now?

Otuonye

[festus]

Hi,

I left Gsso in 1985. My goal is quite simple, I am looking at the social consequences of migration. This is especially relevant to a region of the world that has been loosing the same age group (12-59) for about 500 years under different guises (slavery, civilising missions, modernisation and now globalisation). We usually don\'t pay attention to social processes at our own grave cost, I think we should start now.

Festus

[okey]

Hi,

I left Gsso in 1985. My goal is quite simple, I am looking at the social consequences of migration. This is especially relevant to a region of the world that has been loosing the same age group (12-59) for about 500 years under different guises (slavery, civilising missions, modernisation and now globalisation). We usually don\'t pay attention to social processes at our own grave cost, I think we should start now.

Festus

I am looking forward to the outcome of your research. My appologies for procrastinating on this topic.

This is an important issue that needs immediate attention. I believe the future consequences will be dire if nothing is done. There is a vacum especially within the age group you pointed out.

We migrate in order the provide a better life for ourselves and families. This process has a way of imprisioning us over time.

A common trend is one who migrates with a 5 year plan to strike gold and  then return back home. During this timeline, let\'s say they graduate from college and then strike silver while aspiring for gold. Silver in the sense that they land a pretty darn good job which elevates there lifestyle.
They upgrade to a better living space, car, et al. In the process, they find prince(ss) charming and get married with a kid or two.

Now reality kicks in! you have mortgage, car, insurance, utility payments and probably a student or personal loan or two you need to payoff.
One worries about trying to provide the best life for their kids which is pretty expensive to raise in the western world.

Now, the original 5 year plan becomes a 40 year plan... why? it is difficult for one to save so they could return back home. The society is structurally designed to do just this.

In turn, we now have the best and brightest individual unable to help and contribute to the development of their country.

One critical factor here is that we have kids potentially growing up and not having any affinity to thier country just because it was a place they only visited in the summer and maybe x-mas with their parents. As a result, one has almost lost that generation.

[festus]

Greetings Okey,

This is my point exactly. It is a challenging research to do though. Migration research is at a cross road at the moment with people talking about \"globalization\", \"transnational networks\" and \"migration systems\". But I intend to do it one way or the other. A friend of mine once described migration as analogous to joining a secret society ? you never really know what you are getting into ? you progressively realize that there are costs and sacrifices for the ?sweet? things you get - it gives you 49 and takes 50 from you- things unfold in a direction the migrant never anticipated and ultimately as you pointed out, the migrant and his subsequent generations find themselves in a liminal space. The word ?mortgage? sums it all up.

Anyhow, in a short while I will put up a brief questionnaire on gsso and Owerri girls, Feddy etc. I want to ask people to reflect on their own experiences, whatever their views. Hopefully I can begin to build up a data base and then take it from there. I also intent to attend the reunion some day to hang out and interview people on the subject of migration generally.

Festus