Nollywood actress Evan Okoro, who is popularly known as Doctor Maria, shared her compelling story on Facebook recently. She had joined the industry as a child, but for many years, most people didn’t know her. Her widespread recognition came after she played a role in the blockbuster film titled Sexy Investment.
Since she became famous, her versatility in bringing diverse characters to life has endeared her to viewers. Unfortunately, online trolling has targeted her recently due to her alleged “inappropriate” style of dressing. Responding to the criticisms, she decided to share her story.
I started paying house rent at the age of 12
Early life
I was born into poverty. My parents gave birth to many children, and they struggled to take care of us. After I finished primary school, my father didn’t send me to secondary school because he believed that training a girl child was a waste of money. He wanted me to become a tailor or even get married at a young age, but I refused.
Since I have always loved education, I decided to sponsor myself in secondary school. I was hawking pure water, abacha, pineapple, oranges, etc. In fact, I sold every item, depending on the season.
Any time I see young girls chasing moving vehicles to sell their items, I remember my days of hardship. I used to be like them, and on several occasions, I was almost knocked down by vehicles.
While hustling, I was still going to school. Although the school closing time was 2 p.m., I would leave by 12 p.m. to sell my goods. Due to that, I was always having issues with the school authority, and that’s the main reason I attended different secondary schools.
I started paying house rent at the age of 12. Yes! I grew up in a home where we used to starve, and that is why I struggled so hard to earn money to take care of myself and siblings.
I was 17 when I used my savings to record my songs in the studio. My parents and I roamed from one market to another carrying the CDs in a wheelbarrow and begging people to buy from us. We had low sales, and the investment went down the drain
Journey to the music industry
Apart from her acting skills, Evan said she also loves to compose and sing songs. While she was still a teenager, she released a gospel music album, and later on, she switched to hip-hop. When asked why she abandoned her Christian virtues to become an Instagram slay Mama, she said:
Not all gospel music artistes are necessarily born-again Christians. Moreover, I didn’t join the industry because I was an evangelist. I only wanted to make money from singing.
Back in the early 2000s, gospel artistes like the late Prince Chinedu Nwadike and Chinyere Udoma were popular, and I wanted to be like them.
I was 17 years old when I used my hard-earned savings to record my songs in the studio. I still remember how my parents and I were roaming from one market to another to sell the CDs. We used to carry them in a wheelbarrow and beg people to buy from us. Sadly, we had low sales, and that was how that investment went down the drain. After two years of struggling to make a name in the gospel music industry, I switched to hip-hop, yet nothing good came out of it.
Older than my age
For those of you trolling me and saying that I look older than my age, well, you guys are correct. I look older because I suffered and struggled a lot while growing up. I didn’t complete my education because I had to train my siblings in school. I am that sister who sacrificed everything for her family.
I also vowed to prove to my dad that females are not a lesser gender. I vowed to be the one to break the chains of poverty in my family. When God saw my efforts, he decided to show me mercy. He blessed the works of my hands, and today, life is better. I have everything that I ever prayed for. I no longer starve; instead, I feed the poor.
Beyond her acting career, Evan Okoro is also a social media influencer, comedienne, and movie producer. She acknowledges content creation as a successful path and urges her fans to desist from cyberbullying.
