In Africa, back in the day, there was a lot of pressure for people to have sons. I come from a family of five girls and my father had a lot of pressure to have sons, but he stood by my mother and managed to send all of us to good schools and universities.

My relatives would get angry, they always believed my father was wasting money sending us to school. They would call him names and call him dumb. But I managed to complete my degree and I relocated to Canada as a permanent resident. If he had listened to them, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Because of the love I got, the love and support from my dad, I am striving for my daughter. She’s 9 and I want to give her the best.