I lost my dad when I was 12 – Omotola

Omotola Jalade Ekeinde shares her growing up experiences.-She reveals her education was sponsored by a group of men after her father’s death.

Veteran Nollywood actress, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde has revealed details of her experiences while growing up as a young girl in Lagos State, Nigeria.
According to her, she was only aged 12 when she lost her father and had to start working at 15 in order to support herself and her family.
She what she shared on her Instagram page:

 

On today’s girl child day I’ll do an unusual post true to me. As a child I lost my father age 12. Sponsored by a great community of Ondo men, the #Ekimogun club, so i could continue my education. At age 15, started struggling to help my widowed mother. I started working in the Entertainment Industry. While going to school, and working, faced many challenges as a female child… talks of being loose, perhaps being a prostitute,lack of freedom to mingle like male counterparts, rumours and fear of slander, sexual harassments… but one of my early dreams was to be great at whatever I chose and be side by side the best in the World. I’m Not totally there yet, … but.. That 12 years old iyanaipaja little girl did take care of her widowed mum till she died, took care of her younger brothers… they are in marriage stages now, taking care of herself and her own family, taking care of a few people she is privileged to be able to. She has worked, spoken on, been awarded on World stages , and has been compared to the people she admired when growing up , from other parts of the World… She’s still a work in progress but… Dont You dare Underestimate the possibilities of a girl Child. #Educationiskey #Educationbreedsconfidence #Ressilience #deligience #Girlchild #internationaldayofgirlchild #impossibleisNothing

The 39 year old veteran actress is married to Captain Matthew Ekeinde.