From dropping out of school so her younger siblings could continue their education, to hawking bread in Lagos in 2011, to starting her own hairdressing salon which later failed, to sleeping in the bakery (she was sleeping in a "breadroom" and not a "bedroom")in Lagos with her daughter and about 40 other women, to waking up at 5am everyday to pray.

Perhaps, instead of sitting in our bedroom and wishing we were Olajumoke or had her kind of luck, some of us need to be encouraged, don't give up, keep working hard and smart, leave your comfort zone and one day your story will change.

#ABlessedNewWeekToUsAll

Here is her story;

Flashing a warm grin as she exchanged pleasantries with guest after guest as they made their way into the modest hotel in Yaba, an ever bubbling suburb in the heart of Nigeria’s commercial powerhouse – Lagos – last Wednesday evening, her bright complexion and lanky frame still stood her out even from the slightly dark corner where she and her 16-month-old daughter, Precious, were seated. Donning a black tank top, a pair of fitted denim jeans on top of a black pimsole sneaker to match, you would be forgiven if you thought her smashing looks that evening was always the norm.

But shockingly, it has not always been this good for 27-year-old Jumoke Orisaguna. About one week earlier, she was hawking freshly-baked bread across the streets of Sabo, Yaba and environs in almost tattered dresses and worn-out slippers. Every day since she made the long journey from her native Ire, an agrarian community in Osun State, to Lagos with her little daughter in January 2016 in search of a new life, she had worked at least nine hours a day, many times under the ferocious and scotching afternoon sun that sweeps across the city, to earn a decent living.

The second child in a family of four children born to a poor farmer and a mother who sold vegetables to provide extra income barely enough to sustain the home, Jumoke knew the meaning of hardship even as a little girl. The loss of her elder brother, the first child of the family, meant that she had to provide direction for her three remaining siblings and also play a significant role in helping to bring food to the table. While many her age savoured the experiences of early puberty, Jumoke, by virtue of her humble background, had to grow up fast – and into an adult, too. For her, there was almost no childhood.

“While the other girls would run around to play in the stream and engage in all sorts of games, I was either selling vegetables for my mother or helping my father on his farm because it was from these two areas that our daily bread came,” the young mother of two recalls with nostalgia during a rare encounter with our correspondent earlier in the week. “The opportunity for running around like the other girls wasn’t just there,” she added.

With two wives and four children to feed, it became increasingly tough for the poor farmer to support the education of his children. As a result, Jumoke had to drop out of school after completing her primary education. Even though she knew if she must realise her childhood dream of becoming a renowned lawyer in the future she had to study further, the love for her younger siblings meant she had to sign up to a hairdressing training for them to also have a chance of becoming something big through education.

“I had to choose between me continuing my education and my other siblings sitting back at home,” the 27-year-old revealed. “It was a huge sacrifice I had to make for them to also have a chance of becoming great in life through education. I always feel sad each time I see my childhood friends who are educated and have become successful professionals today. If I had someone to sponsor me, of course I wouldn’t have ended up as a hairdresser or even ever had to hawk bread. I still nurse the pains till this moment.

“But instead of idling away at home or just selling vegetables for my mother and helping my father on his farm, I decided to learn hairdressing and make a meaning out of my life,” she said.

And for the next three years, Jumoke horned her skills in one of the best hairdressing salons in the community, hoping to hit it big by the time she would become her own boss. By 2013 she had successfully completed the rigorous training and had rented and equipped a shop with the help of family members and the little amount she had managed to save during her first stint in Lagos hawking bread in 2011 for six months. But every hope of instant success soon fizzled into frustration and utmost disappointment. The reality on ground was a distant contrast to the result she had long envisaged.

“Things became tougher after I opened the salon,” she cuts in. “You know since Ire is a town whose economic activities largely depend on the presence of the students of the Federal Polytechnic in the community, sales get very bad when they are not on campus.

“So, money wasn’t coming at such and even to feed or send our eldest daughter to school became a big problem for me and my husband. That was why I decided to come back to Lagos to give bread hawking a trial again in January this year. I felt it was the best option for now rather than just sit and idle away in Ire,” she said.

Luckily for the young woman, that decision has today turned out to be the wisest step she ever took. On the evening of February 2 while hawking her bread as usual, she crashed into something big – something that would change her life forever and write her name in gold. Celebrity photographer – TY Bello – was conducting a street shoot for Nigerian-born British singer, Tinie Tempah, on one of the streets dotting Yaba that evening when suddenly, from nowhere, Jumoke, with the heavy ‘baggage’ on her head, harmlessly sauntered into the scene. For her, it was another evening to service her many clients in the area especially at a nearby mechanic workshop where a handful of customers were already waiting for her.

“I only wanted to walk through the scene to take bread to my customers at the mechanic workshop around the place the shoot was taking place. I never had the intention of appearing in the photograph. It was while I made my way that the camera captured me,” she revealed.

http://www.punchng.com/i-still-feel-as-if-im-dreaming-breadseller-turned-model/#at_pco=smlwn-1.0&at_si=56c16fbcd98cace9&at_ab=-&at_pos=0&at_tot=1

If Olajumoke's gist occupies the whole NL front page I will gladly open the threads one after the other and read A to Z cos it inspires me.

So

If you're tired of hearing her gist why opening d thread.

You can just deactivate your NL account for a year by then her news will surface twice a week.

Wanna pee on dis person below me.

And His likers

Graced woman

Olajumoke everywhere.

I attended a naming ceremony 2 days ago and the baby was named Olajumoke.

The poster above me is right. she's so favoured and graced.

Seen

feeling blessed



Olajumoke's case is why Ecclesiastes 9v11 is my favorite bible verse. The race is not to the swift. Time and chance happeneth to them all

Who she help? Next!

blessed

interesting

haven't we had enough of this story?

Hmmm... what is is that God can't do? Reminds me of Joseph, Obasanjo, me sef go soon join the list sha

with that hardship, one man still saw her (probably in almost the same measure of hardship) then gave her belle not once but twice hmmmm
if not for mother of all lucks those children would have been thinking of when it will be their turn selling bread too.

that moment when lagos girls heard and saw how God had blessed the agege bread seller, then you saw all beautiful girls hawking bread on the street of Lagos. can someone give us the pictural backup of this statement to make it fun. you guys can do it, I know

This her husband sha. Luckiest man in his clan. You send your wife out to sell bread because you can't provide for your family and she lands a modelling job. Probably stretching his hands out every time she returns from work. What a lucky bloke.

Just bear in mind that modelling is a short term job that goes as looks fade, so invest her money wisely. She will not be going out on the street hawking again o.

What happened to this lady happens once in 20yrs it really amazing, pretty sure she was thinking of how many loave she will order the next day before meeting her benefactor

Hmmmmm.. This's a wake up call to all those graduates that'll come here and be complaining. Olajumoke previous condition wasnt better than yours. Still yet, God answereth her prayers. She has no internet enabled phone to even come online and yell about her condition. Perhaps, that could even touched God and hasten up to make her life better.

This means God doesnt forget anybody. Just keep being hopeful and all shall be testimonies.


Check my signature for ur customised wristband

Okay we don hear!

Am next for breakthrough, don't know about u.

naijaboiy:
Olajumoke everywhere. Make we hear word for once na.

jealousy!

She's beautiful! Baba God please pick my call. The world should watch out for me soon, I do not yet know how, but my inspirational stories will make it to NL front page one day. you can be part of it!!! OLAJUMOKE: the story of a girl remembered by God!

Ok

Our prayers will be answerd too... Click like to claim.

her story touched and still touches me

1 Minute you are selling bread looking for how to get back home with 2500 Naira profit to cook 5 hundred naira soup and Garri to feed the family, THEN, you just waka pass the wrong place at the right time and get caught on Camera, Now you live in a Duplex inside Lekki, are enrolled in a poise and etiquette school, money in the bank and also a superstar, being interviewed local and international media station sotey, your news feature for Indian Newspaper when you no even get Passport.




Olajumoke just renewed my belief in fairy tales.


Now Olajumokes old neighbourhood would be too dangerous for her to visit.

Her Landlord wey dey bang for her door dey Chaneg padlock because of house rent go dey postrate dey call her "Madam".

Those people for her church wey dey treat her like housegirl now go dey address her as 'Mummy'.

Now her friends sef no fit recognise her again.

Olajumoke was born and raise in the hood, but in another 3 - 6 months, her 'Accent' go change.

From Tecno to iPhone 6s plus.

from Molue hopping to Chauffeur driven motor.

From Public school to private school for her kids.

from standing fan to Split Unit.










#Fhuck Cinderella, Olajumoke is the new childrens fairy tale story.

Wow she really deserved this break.... Oh God of Elijah dat transformed olajumoke transform ma life in Jesus name......

after the reggea play the blues .........................

I don't think I can ever get enough of this her story. It's really inspiring

In all things give thanks