By Amraheobu Ile
Experience they say, is the best teacher. Passion is developed by certain interests formed from personal experience.
In most cases, what we experienced in life, in our formative years shape our attitude and focus in life, no matter what we become in future.
Such experiences stick and become part of our lives. Such is the case of an Enugu State-born United States based Miracle Nnaji.Nnaji had a horrifying disaster experience when she was just 6 years, as a torrential rain, coupled with a raging storm ravaged her home when she was with one of her siblings, Bonnie while their parents were away.
The storm wreaked havoc on their shelter, blowing away the roofing sheets leaving her and her sibling at the mercy of virulent nature. Terrified and devastated, they clutched at each other to remain safe in the face of the horrible onslaught of the vagaries of the merciless raging storm.
It was such a traumatic experience which could not be wished away as the years roll by.Now a fully grown woman with good education, the scare of that life threatening harrowing experience has not left her. Rather, it has shaped her life and choices.
She decided to be in the vanguard for proffering solutions to the vulnerable in the society which may be confronted with the same or similar near-death encounter.
These heart touching revelations were made when the US-based Nigerian who now works on disaster management to provide succor to people who are grappling with the kind of situation she faced at age 6, shared her hair-raising experience with nature in an interview with our Correspondent.
Her words, “My name is Miracle Nnaji, and I hail from Enugu, Nigeria. I am currently residing in the United States as an international student at the University of Central Oklahoma, where I obtained my Master’s degree in Public Administration with a major in Public and Nonprofit Management and a Master’s Certificate in Disaster Management.
“I am a certified Disaster Management Consultant and Entrepreneur, dedicated to promoting economic upliftment and community resilience in economically depressed areas. My expertise lies in disaster assessment, preparation, and response.
“I completed a capstone project titled “Determinants of International Youth Migration for Greener Pastures: The Case of Nigeria.” In addition, I authored a semester paper titled “Individual and Household Preparedness for Disaster and Emergencies,” which is published on ResearchGate. I have also written two articles published in the International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology: “Citizen-Led Disaster Preparedness: Adaptive Survival and Safety Techniques in the Face of Limited Resources” and “Preparing Vulnerable Communities: Disaster Mitigation Strategies for Economically Depressed Areas in Oklahoma.” My forthcoming paper is titled “The Correlation between Wastewater Disposal and Seismic Activities in Oklahoma.”
“Before I continue, I would like to share why I am passionate about disaster management in economically depressed areas.
“When I was about six years old, my sister Bonnie and I were alone at home, waiting for our mother to return from the market where she was selling food with my three other siblings. It was evening when it started to rain heavily, and we sought shelter inside our house made of roofing sheets.
“The storm intensified, and the wind blew the entire roof away. Terrified and unsure of what to do, my sister and I held each other and cried until our mother returned. That night, she gathered what belongings she could carry and took us to a church, where we stayed until we found another house.
“Imagine a mother of five children with no help, no government assistance, no emergency team, and no non-governmental organization to rescue us. Although I was young, the trauma of that day left a lasting impact on me.
“This experience fuels my passion for ensuring that vulnerable communities receive the support and resources they need in times of disaster.”
