A Journey of Grit, Grace, and Dreams Fulfilled | Rasifatu Yiviri

Open Dreams
11 hours ago
4 min read

I am deeply honoured to share that I have begun my PhD in Education and Social Justice at the University of Birmingham as a Commonwealth Scholar. For the very first time in my life, I found myself short of words to share this news, haha. Not because I didn’t want to, but because I felt overwhelmed, and even now, three months later, it still feels surreal.

Not because I believe I don’t deserve it, but because I know, deep in my heart, that God has been extraordinarily kind to me.

In just 4 years, my life has transformed in ways I could never have imagined. When I reflect on where I come from, being born to illiterate parents, growing up in abject poverty, in a large polygamous family, as the second youngest child, and the very first in the family to attend university, my journey to this point is proof that nothing is impossible with hard work, determination, and belief in oneself.

Here I am, studying at one world-class university after another, from the University of Massachusetts Lowell in the USA, to the University of Exeter in the UK, and now the University of Birmingham, fully funded by some of the largest and most competitive funding bodies in the world.

This still feels like a dream, an incredibly big dream.

I cannot say exactly how I got here, but I know this: it took hard work, determination, self-belief, grit, resilience, and courage. It took believing that my background would not define my future. It took choosing, every single day, to take my future into my own hands.

And I did it. I am here.

If no one else is proud of me, I am proud of the woman I have become. The obstacles were real. The challenges were many. Life has been difficult, and I have faced some of its harshest realities. But I persevered, and I excelled. I nearly dropped out of the University because 50,000 francs (£70) felt impossible. Today, I study at top universities where my tuition is 500 times the amount that almost forced me out of school, supported by renowned institutions around the world.

In just 4 years, the journey has been one success after another:

2022: Won the IATEFL Scholarship to travel to the UK to attend one of the biggest English Language Teaching Conferences in the world.

2022: Won the Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program, which took me to the University of Massachusetts, Lowell.

2023: Travel grant from Africa ELTA to present at my first international conference in Angola.

2023: Won the British Council Sub-Saharan Africa Lesson Plan Award.

2023: Won the Hornby Scholarship, which took me to the UK to pursue my MEd TESOL.

2024: Received the IATEFL LTSIG Travel Grant, which took me to Malta to present at the ELT Council Conference

2025: Awarded the Commonwealth Scholarship, bringing me back to the UK, this time as a PhD candidate.

I don't know what success means to you. But when I look at where I started and where I am today, I can confidently say that I am a success story, if not for the world, then certainly for myself.

I did not walk this path alone. This success is also the result of the support, belief, and encouragement of many. I am deeply grateful to my family for their unwavering support. Big hugs and endless gratitude to my husband and kids for accepting an absentee wife and mother.

I am thankful to the Fulbright Teacher Exchanges for opening doors of opportunity. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to my Open Dreams family, a community that constantly reminds me to rise, grow, and become better. You are a pillar of my journey. My sincere appreciation also goes to the Hornby Trust for supporting my master’s studies, the foundation upon which my PhD dream was built. To my lecturers at the University of Exeter, thank you. I am profoundly thankful to the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission for believing in my vision and giving me the opportunity to pursue this dream.

To my supervisor, KuchahNnam Kuchah, thank you for your mentorship, openness, and the intellectually enriching conversations that inspired me to take this path.

A special word of appreciation to all my referees Akaba James Athanasuis AyukAko Roger K Mbianda for consistently taking the time to write thoughtful, award-winning recommendation letters. I am truly grateful.

To my dear mentors, friends, colleagues, father and mother figures, those who silently inspire me, and all who have played a role in this remarkable success, my gratitude is beyond words.

You all are the brain behind this miracle.

To my mentees and every young person for whom life may feel impossible, if my story teaches you anything, let it be this: your background does not determine your future. All you need is belief in yourself, the courage to start, and the discipline to put in the work, and everything else will follow.

Your dreams are valid!

As I walk into this chapter, I now look ahead with purpose and commitment, ready to contribute to shaping a more equitable and socially just world.