"Life without education...

…is like attaya without sugar.”

These were the closing words to a student’s speech one Monday at morning assembly. I think the topic was the importance of education. It’s true; life without education would not be sweet. But Salifu's simile is actually more powerful than any non-attaya-drinker could imagine. Attaya is brewed with tea leaves, but the similarity to “tea” ends there. If I were to make myself a mug of Earl Gray, I could add or not add milk, sugar, cream or honey as I saw fit. I would probably not add any of the aforementioned and still find the flavor absolutely satisfying. Attaya without sugar, however, is not attaya. Mint is optional, sugar is not. You could not make attaya without sugar any more than you could make oatmeal raisin cookies without oatmeal. Sure, you'd end up with something edible, but that’s not the point of a cookie. So when Salifu compared an education-less life to sugar-less attaya, he was not merely saying the situation wouldn’t be sweet. Attaya without sugar is inconceivable, and the same applies to life without education.

Now if only Salifu would complete his maths assignments...