I’m a pedicurist and also a makeup artist. Prior to becoming a pedicurist, I worked as a house maid for a number of years and provided cleaning services to those who needed it. I am also a single mother of 3 (2 I bore myself and the third, my late sister’s daughter). The father of my children one day decided he was no longer interested in our marriage.

During our time together, he was against me working so I hid my business from him. He lived in London but came down once a year to see me and his family. Both times I was pregnant, he never sent me anything to help with the pregnancy and hospital bills so I did most things myself. I would call his phone but he never picked up. I felt so alone during the pregnancy. I fainted and fell sick so many times but thankfully my neighbor helped me all through the way. When I had both babies, all he did was send a text congratulating me. Before he broke up with me, he took me to his village and made me live there for a whole year in a bid to severe my ties with my family. While living there, I found out his siblings were into very fetish things which I wasn’t too comfortable with, so I moved back to Lagos.

One day he called me and told me he was no longer interested but told me when next he’s in Lagos, he’ll be coming for his kids. I was scared by this statement and went straight to the Human Rights office. However I was told they couldn’t help me, and advised to take the kids and run as far away from him as possible.
When I heard he was in town I did exactly as the Human Rights officer had instructed. I later found out from a friend that he was deported and that made me slightly happy.