"Hi, my name is Destiny . I'm twenty-one years old, and I'm from Nigeria. I want to tell you about my life story.

I was told I was a result of teenage pregnancy. My mom had me when she was eighteen. My dad was ready to take responsibility and said he wanted to marry my mom, but later said he would marry my mom as his second wife. My mom said no, that she would never be someone's second choice.

Then they came to a decision that he would perform his fatherly duties, that he would come visit me and pay my school fees. A month before my second birthday, he visited and said he would come to my birthday and celebrate with me, but he never came. He didn't visit me or call until I was eighteen. But he paid my school fees until I finished middle school.

When I was three, my mom married another guy, David. He was my stepdad. I thought he cared for me, but later he started maltreating me. My mom never stopped him, but I didn't hate her. I hated that love made her blind.

My mom gave birth to my younger sisters, Anne and bella. They treated me like I was useless in the family, that I was not important. They locked me in the house, and I had to take care of my sisters. I was so tired. I wanted to see the world and be happy, but I was not happy. I felt so depressed. I tried many attempts to commit suicide, but I couldn't.

Later, I don't know what happened between my stepdad, David, and my mom, but they got divorced. My mom traveled abroad and said she would be sending us money. My siblings and I moved to my grandma's place, but I thought that was the beginning of my happiness.

For two years, they treated me and my siblings well, until I noticed something change. My grandma, uncle, and aunts started reminding me that I was a result of unwanted pregnancy, that my mom could have aborted me. I was so sad. I tried to be happy, but I was depressed. I had no friends, and I started doing bad things, skipping class, and running away from school.

That made me happy a little bit, but I was not actually happy. I knew I was destroying my future, but I continued doing it. Then I finished high school. I wanted to go to college like my mates, but I couldn't because my mom said she would come and take me to join her in the US to attend school.

I waited for my mom to come and take me to school, but she didn't come. I waited for four years, and all my mates were in school, while I was at home. I was so depressed. I lost hope.

Until one day, my mom called me and said I should pick a school I want to go to. I was so happy. I've never been that happy in my life. I chose Bells University of Technology. To be continued