I Am Who I Am Today Because I Grew Up in Ajegunle – Ruth Kadiri
Nollywood top shot, Ruth Kadiri might be an actress that had a very rough childhood in Ajegunle, a popular slum in Lagos, but she has opened up that her experience in the slum made her who she is today.
In a recent chat with Potpourri, Ruth Kadiri declared that growing up in the slum was actually more of a blessing than curse.
“Growing up in the slum helps you to find yourself,” she mused. “It’s either you are defined or you are not. Growing up as a child in Ajegunle, it’s either you get lost or it helps you find your way. Right now, there are so many mistakes I can’t make. I see many ladies misbehave, if I am able to overcome it at childhood I can’t start doing it now.
As a child I have always known what I wanted. In my room I had a write-up that when I become eighteen I would rent my own apartment. My dad saw it and he was like “Where are you going by eighteen?” I told him I want to be able to get my own apartment and make my own money. He just laughed it off. I think that decision helped me to cultivate the desire to make my own money and do it the right way,” she added.
On lessons she has learnt as a practitioner in the movie industry, Ruth Kadiri was effusive in her response
“I have learnt to be patient. I have learnt to understand that people’s destinies are different. I have also learnt to understand that not everybody will appreciate your style, not everybody will understand where you are coming from. All you need as a person is focus. The easiest thing to do is to get distracted. The easiest thing to do in this industry is to follow the trend. If you have a style and you are able to stick to it, as long as you know that you are doing the right thing, you will get to where you desire,” she stated with a note of finality.
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