Dirt poor bread seller Jumoke’s story a fairy tale
The world now her oyster for villager
The story of the Olajumoke Orisaguna is testament that fairy tales still happen. Like a character out of a Disney fable, Jumoke, as she is now known, was plucked out of dirt poverty and obscurity as a bread seller and thrust into the spotlight of high fashion.
Jumoke’s story has captured the imagination of Nigerians since that one fateful afternoon when, minding her business of selling bread on the streets, she accidentally walked into a photo shoot of British rapper Tinnie Tempah.
Nigerian photographer Ty Bello, captured by her natural beauty, tracked down the 27year-old. In true Cinderella fashion, the bread seller was whisked away, polished till she sparkled and put in front of the camera where her talent flourished.
Today, just over a year later, Jumoke is seen as a beacon of hope by Nigerians, her manager
Victoria
Nkong tells me during an interview at the Sandton Sun Hotel.
“For the regular Nigerian youth who have been struggling, who never thought they could be something, who believed that you needed to know people and have connections for things to happen for you, her’s is a big achievement. “People send her messages asking that she pray for them. People in Nigeria pray to the God of Olajumoke, I’m not joking. She’s a big deal.” Nkong serves as Jumoke’s chaperone and translator because her grasp of English is still poor. She still communicates mostly in Yoruba, her home language. She grew up in Osun where they only speak Yoruba and was never exposed to English. Even when she went to Lagos, she lived in Yoruba-speaking suburbs.
“I was a hairdresser in my village but had no clients, so I went to Lagos for greener pastures. I also sold bread. One afternoon I saw people at a photo shoot and passed by, going to my customers. The next day, people told me that Ty Bello was looking for me.
“We did a photo shoot and everyone started to know me,” she says briefly, avoiding eye contact. She has since graced the cover of the popular This Day magazine.
“Everybody knows me now. Wherever I go it’s Olajumoke, Olajumoke,” she says.
“I’m happy now. People love me and I’m really happy with the change. I have two children who are now in good schools.”
The support system around Jumoke has been great. A local bank has committed to paying for her children’s education up to tertiary. Another sponsor got her a flat in Lagos and paid rent for five years.
Like a supermodel, she has a posse trailing behind her – a personal modelling trainer, stylist, public relations person, English tutor, road manager and security.
She did a make-up course, one of the benefits of attending a finishing school. But Jumoke’s love is acting. She dreams of being a Nollywood star after seeing some Yoruba films in her village. That wish is now materialising, with three projects already lined up.
Nkong tells me Jumoke is starting a blog to encourage people by using her story.
“She was doing her humble work when fortune found her and luck shone on her. Her message is ‘don’t just sit, do something and expect your life to change’.”
Coming to South Africa is her first trip outside of Nigeria, Nkong says.
“She is checking out some charities that she can work with, checking out the city and meeting the media as well as finding a modelling agency in South Africa.”
Asked about her impressions, Jumoke quietly offers that: “South Africa is fine. I want to work and grow and help people. I also want to get the hang of English.”