Be Inspired, Always
At LGTHEF, we believe stories have the power to transform lives. That’s why we regularly share inspiring real-life experiences, testimonies, and journeys of hope that uplift the spirit.
Whether it’s the story of a life changed, a community empowered, or a challenge overcome, you’ll always find something here to encourage and motivate you.
Visit often, read, and be inspired. Your next source of hope could be just a story away
“From Village Footpaths to Flying the Skies”
“They Called Me the Village Girl Who Would Die Poor — But The Day I Returned as the Pilot of the Plane They Boarded, Even My Former Teacher Bowed His Head.”
“From Village Footpaths to Flying the Skies”
Written by RosyWorld CRN
✈ 1. BORN INTO LIMITS
My name is Ngozi Umeh.
I was born in a remote village in Ebonyi State where the loudest dreams never left the ground.
We had no electricity.
No clean water.
No television to show us what the world looked like.
I grew up barefoot, walking long distances to fetch water and firewood.
When I was 7, during a school excursion, I saw an airplane cut across the sky for the first time.
I pointed and shouted:
“Mama, I will fly that one someday!”
Villagers laughed until their ribs hurt.
“Fly? You? Poor girl, you can’t even buy slippers!”
But Mama looked at me with tears and said:
“My daughter, don’t let their laughter clip your wings.”
- POVERTY AND SHAME
School was a battlefield.
I wore the same faded uniform for 3 years.
Sometimes, I went hungry.
Sometimes, I sold roasted groundnuts to pay for pens.
Teachers mocked me.
Classmates called me “Groundnut Seller Pilot.”
One teacher once told me:
“Ngozi, your brain is sharp, but you will end up in the farm. Don’t waste your time with these big dreams.”
That day, I wept so hard I thought I would drown in my tears.
But inside, a fire burned.
I told myself:
“One day, this same man will sit in my plane.”
- THE SACRIFICE
When I finished secondary school, I got admission to study engineering.
But where would we get the fees?
Mama sold our only piece of land.
She started carrying firewood on her head to keep me in school.
Sometimes, she fainted from exhaustion.
But she always said:
“Ngozi, go higher than me. Let my sweat become your runway.”
- UNIVERSITY STRUGGLES
Campus life was rough.
I couldn’t afford textbooks.
I shared one with three classmates.
I missed lectures sometimes because I had to sell recharge cards at night.
Boys mocked me for being too “local.”
Girls laughed at my cheap clothes.
But I studied like my life depended on it.
Because it did.
In my third year, I wrote an essay competition on “The Future of Aviation in Africa.”
To my shock, I won.
The prize? A scholarship to a pilot training school in South Africa.
When the letter came, I fell on my knees and wept.
- THE FIRST FLIGHT
The first time I entered a cockpit, I trembled.
The buttons, the screens, the headset — it felt like stepping into another universe.
But the moment the plane lifted off the ground, I cried.
Because the barefoot village girl was finally flying.
- THE OBSTACLES
It wasn’t easy.
Some instructors doubted me.
Some said, “Africans don’t usually succeed here, especially women.”
But each time I wanted to give up, I remembered Mama’s bent back carrying firewood.
I remembered the laughter of villagers.
And I pushed harder.
By graduation, I was one of the best in my class.
- THE DAY DESTINY TURNED
Years later, after countless trainings and sleepless nights, I became a commercial airline pilot.
On one unforgettable day, I was assigned to captain a flight from Lagos to Abuja.
As passengers boarded, my eyes froze.
Among them was my former teacher — the same man who once told me I would never be more than a farmer’s daughter.
When he heard my voice through the intercom saying,
“Good afternoon, this is your Captain, Ngozi Umeh, welcoming you on board…”
He bowed his head and covered his face.
And I smiled.
Because the vow I made had come true.
- THE FULL CIRCLE
Today, I fly planes across continents.
I return to my village every year with school supplies and scholarships for girls.
I tell them:
“Don’t let poverty silence your dream. Don’t let laughter break your wings. If a groundnut seller can fly the skies, so can you.”
Mama is old now, but each time she hears my voice on the phone from another country, she smiles and says:
“My daughter, I told them their laughter would fuel your flight.”
Moral Lesson:
Your background is not your destiny.
The same people who laughed at you may one day bow their heads when your dream takes flight.
If the same teacher who once mocked you sat on your plane, would you forgive him — or remind him of his words?
Source : Facebook
The success story of Oprah Winfrey
Born to a single teenage mother in poverty and being molested, Oprah had a rough childhood. Growing up, she worked various odd jobs before landing a job to anchor the local news at a small radio network. She then went on to work in a TV station, where she started her own talk show. Her emotional delivery in that show made her the favorite of the masses. As a result, her TV show became one of the highest-rated shows ever. When she was a kid, Oprah suffered a lot due to poverty. So, when she became famous, she tried to make the world a better place to live by donating money to the needy. Today, she is known as one of the greatest black philanthropists and one of the most influential women in the world. Read this success story of Oprah Winfrey to get a glimpse into her journey and find out how she transformed her life completely using sheer hard work and empathy towards her community.
Undoubtedly, you are aware of Oprah Winfrey’s extraordinary level of achievement. Oprah Winfrey’s narrative of achievement has broken barriers and inspired millions of people around the world.
Yet, few are aware of the extreme poverty from which she rose.
In the You Got This – Overcoming Solopreneur Fears series, we will examine how a number of the most well-known entrepreneurs and solopreneurs began their careers and developed thriving internet enterprises. We will discover what fears and hurdles they overcome to attain success, and we will seek to learn from their experiences!
The Triumph of Oprah Winfrey: An Account of Her Fight Against Adversity
Born in 1954 in rural Mississippi, Oprah Winfrey could hardly have entered the world in lower circumstances.
She spent her formative years bouncing between her mother, her grandmother, her father, and back again, always battling her surroundings.
In the 1960s, being a poor black girl in America was hardly a recipe for success.
Yet, she was successful.
From a young age, Oprah exhibited tremendous personality strength. Her grandmother always recounted how effortlessly Oprah took to the stage and performed, regardless of whether or not she was actually on a platform.
She joined and excelled in television broadcasting due to the richness of her personality.
What drove Oprah to achieve success?
In 1971, while she was still in high school, Oprah’s manner and emotive delivery drew the attention of a radio station in Nashville, which offered her a position. After beginning her television career in Nashville and then Baltimore, she relocated to Chicago in 1983 to host the low-rated morning programme AM Chicago.
In Chicago, Oprah Winfrey has surpassed Donahue as the talk show with the highest ratings. The show was renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show after a few years and continued to air for 25 years.
Despite being on national television, Oprah’s distinctive manner created an altogether new type of communication on television: a more intimate confessional. Her complete empathy for guests, which frequently brought them to tears, fostered an environment in which they were more eager to relate personal stories.
She pioneered and transformed the phenomenon known as “tabloid chat shows.” Les Payne of Newsday commented, “Oprah Winfrey is sharper than Donahue, wittier, more real, and considerably more in tune with her audience, if not the entire globe.”
What is Oprah Winfrey’s significance?
How did she accomplish everything and more?
By disbelieving what was told to her.
Oprah believed that being poor, black, and female in rural Mississippi were not the sum total of her existence, despite the fact that these circumstances had shaped her early life.
She did not believe that these designations constrained her in any way.
She did not believe the folks who told her she would never amount to anything due to these labels.
Oprah could have easily allowed those rumours to become the narrative she told herself, but she made a different decision. She faced her concerns and problems with confidence and self-assurance.
Our stories… They are powerful, wouldn’t you say?
What stories are you currently telling yourself?
Are you listening to those who suggest you cannot complete the task? It is impossible to establish a business online. You cannot possibly earn enough money doing that. This is not possible.
Or, are you listening to someone who promotes and supports you?
The grandmother of Oprah is an excellent example of such a person. She supported Oprah’s enthusiasm and talent for public speaking, which she recognised early on.
But perhaps more critically, Oprah’s grandma encouraged that young woman to such an extent that she fostered a healthy feeling of self-worth.
She had faith in Oprah, which enabled Oprah to have faith in herself.