Sofiya Johnson reflects on her mother’s passion to educate her daughters. 

“My mother was hell bent that us three would get an education, you know, not to marry because otherwise, what I was thinking what life would have been like if I was still in Africa, would I be married with two, three children, but no education? You know, what would my life have been like? I don't know. And here my mother says out, you know, she wouldn't even teach us how to cook. I said, can you teach us how to cook? Nope, nope, go study, study, I want you to get out. I want you to go and get educated. So you stand on your own two feet you never depend on anyone, ever.
Am I as resilient as I was then, I think then, now I feel I feel not so strong. Maybe I'm getting older, I don't know. But then it was like a big adventure. You know, everything was an adventure. I treated it like an adventure. I think I wouldn't have survived if I hadn't been so resilient. And I think it's thanks to my mum, who would just tell me go, you don't need to depend on anyone. You need to go stand on your own two feet I always remember that - go.”