Meet Miss Iveren Hemen, the Architect who washes plates to survive’.

Iveren Hemen is a single mother in her late twenties. She is a graduate who studied architecture in the university. She washes plates for women who cook and serve at occasions for survival.




The single mother lives in kubwa, one of the satellite towns in the Federal Capital Territory.

Iveren in an interview with Kapital FM, shares her story:

I can do any kind of job as long as I get paid at the end of the day. I studied  Architecture as a course in the university but you see its hard to find a good job. I believe I would have gone far in my career but i was distracted when  I had a child out of wedlock.

After my NYSC I travelled back to Abuja. My parents were based in Abuja as at that time before relocating to our state of origin, Benue.

Unfortunately when I got back from NYSC, I discovered they had separated and were living separately. So I decided to take the bull by the horns that is to survive.

I met this man from Benue state, he was such a young handsome and very nice man by name  Andy Terseer. He agreed to pay for my rent which was about three hundred and fifty thousand naira.

We quickly became friends as he was the only help I had. We attended parties, night clubs and we really had fun. He was also a good company and was there for me any time I needed to.

Many days passed and we became close friends and started dating. I already believed the man I had been praying for had arrived on a Platter of gold.

But something happened, as time passed, One day I decided to use a picture of ours, me and him on Facebook tagged ” this is the man of my dreams ” I had many likes and positive comments.

A long time friend of mine by name, Dooshima called me on the phone and asked why I was playing pranks with another woman’s husband. I laughed and told her I was serious with Andy and that I loved him and we were planning to get married soon.

She told me he was her older sister’s husband and adviced me to interrogate him. She said, when you meet with him today ask him who Grace and Joshua are.  Behold they were his children. I became confused and angry.

So I took a bold step that evening and asked him but he got furious and told me to stop listening to people.

What else would I hear? I had done my research some hours before confronting him and had seen his family picture that same day sent to me by my friend Dooshima, so I held him on his trouser demanding to hear the truth from him and what he intended to do thereafter.

He got so angry and slapped me. By the time I woke up I was in the hospital with a nurse. I literally passed out, that was how I discovered I was pregnant.

The next day Andy came with a doctor and asked for my permission for an abortion but I refused. I was afraid and told him I will keep the child.

He disappeared after I gave birth but I was so disappointed because he told me he was going to marry me I had no idea he was a married man.

I share my story here today because I have written petitions concerning him to show up  and keep his part of the deal. He has promised to provide funds for the upbringing of the child but as I speak he hasn’t shown up for a long time. I am left alone to fare for both my child and myself.

I am a graduate but I do small jobs to take care of the child and myself and I am happy with myself, atleast for now.
My parents are very angry with me for getting pregnant out of wedlock and they have refused to support me but

I have refused to wallow in self pity as you can see am hard working.

My cry is for the father of my child to support me. And I am not ashamed of doing any kind of job now to help me until I am able to secure a good job with my qualification.


Source Capital FM.