'My papa shout say na man work I wan begin do?' - Actress wey dey do POP engineer work

Princess Igho Williams

Broadcast Journalist, BBC News Pidgin

To figure out which career path wey pesin go follow na tough decision to make for some pipo but dat no be di case wit Okeke Stephanie Eberechukwu wey dey do POP, overhead white ceiling design and screeding.

Stephanie wey pipo also sabi as Afoma tell BBC Pidgin say her papa surprise wen she take her decision to do wetin she dey do now as e be say na men dey mainly dey do dat kain work;

"My papa say ha!, man work? How you wan take dey do man work?"

"Even my aunty wey I dey stay with dat time, no understand wetin I dey tok wen I dey tell her about dis work."

"E surprise all of dem oh! Las las I come begin do di work and now all of dem dey very proud of me."

Afoma add say presently everywia wey she dey go both friends and family member dey say; "Afoma you dey do well. weldone."

Di 25 years old young lady from Enugu state, South-East say she don dey do dis engineering work for three years now.

Aside from dis work, Afoma say she also be actress for Nollywood for Asaba.

She say wen growing up, her dream career as a child na to become actress but now as she dey grow, she dey derive joy from handwork.

"I don learn plenti handwork oh, but dis one wey I dey do currently I hold am tight."

"I like who I dey become now. Dis my POP work I dey very proud of am. I dey proud to tell pipo for wia I dey act film say I be engineer. Na beta thing e be."

Okeke Stephanie Eberechukwu also reveal say she no go school to learn dis her work.

However, she learn am from her oga for site and since then she don do POP work for like six building, three wit her oga and three by hersef.

Afoma say e dey take her no more than three weeks to one month to finish di work depending on how big di building.

"If e no too big e go take me just 2 weeks to finish am."

'I no dey allow my work stop me to dress well'

Okeke Stephanie Eberechukwu wey also like to slay wit her fine dressing say her kind of work no stop her from dressing well as a single lady.

"Although di job dey interfere wit my life as a single lady wey like to look good and slay but I no mind."

"Because na dis work I take dey get my money. Na im I dey use take dey slay. Na im I take dey sustain myself. Nobody dey give me."

"Even with di work, I still dey slay, I dey wear my cloth and dey look fine."

'Some pipo dey underestimate me because I be woman'

Afoma say one of di difficulty wey she dey face be say some pipo dey underestimate her because she be woman wey dey do dis work.

"Dem go feel say I no go fit do di work, but wen I start to dey do di work, pipo go come see say I sabi am well."

She say but pipo wey sabi her no dey doubt her competence for di work.

Di young POP designer add say even wit di stress wey dey di work wey she dey do, she dey chest and handle am well.

Afoma go further to reveal say she dey draw inspiration from a lot of things wey dey ginger her not to give up.

" I wan make my family, my papa and everyone around me proud, and dis dey inspire me."

As a single lady wey dey do dis handwork, she say men dey appreciate and praise her sake of she be woman wey dey hustle.

"Wen I introduce myself dem dey respect me di more."

Afoma advise oda young girls to try and know wetin dem wan do for demsef, figure out who dem wan to be and focus on am.

"Make dem also believe in demsef say dem go find wetin dem dey look for and e go work. Never give up because one day e go click, Afoma tok.

She add say make dem also pray to God for guidance, wisdom, knowledge and strength.