It’s not easy living in Nigeria for 40 years without running mad –Foluke Daramola

For star actress, Foluke Daramola- Salako, who recently turned 40, one of the hardest things she has had to do is keep her sanity intact. In a chat with Saturday Beats, the actress noted that it was a difficult task remaining sane in a country like Nigeria and she gave her reasons. “The turbulent thing I have faced especially in a place like Nigeria is that we are practically under pressure as celebrities. People keep demanding things from us and they don’t care how we meet their demands. They put a lot of pressure on me. Being psychologically and emotionally stable in Nigeria for over 40 years has not been an easy task. People see the glamour on the television screen and believe that is how we live in reality. Being psychologically stable despite all odds like living up to expectation, the pressure of living the way you want to and also even differentiating reality from showbiz has not been easy. Those are my turbulent times. A good thing about being a celebrity, however, is that when you are known, you are celebrated and it opens doors for you. Being known gives you a voice when others are struggling to get a voice.”

While speaking of a dark time in her life, the actress said that her previous marriage made her face her worst nightmare.

She said, “Another turbulent time for me was when I had to leave my first marriage. I would say I left the marriage as a shadow of myself. When I left that marriage, I felt less than myself and I felt the world had come to an end. That was a time in my life that was very turbulent. What I dread most in my life is to have a broken home and I experienced it with my first marriage. So I would say that was a time in my life that was really turbulent. But a very lovely and good time in my life was when I met the man I am married to. It was a wonderful time in my life.”

Unlike some of her colleagues who opted for a lavish birthday celebration, the actress decided to have a party with children living with Down’s syndrome. She explained, “I did not throw a lavish birthday party because the age I attained was a significant one in my life. I wanted to celebrate it with people that I would always remember. I have always had reasons to throw parties. Also, my birthday falls around Valentine season which is synonymous with love, so I decided to show love to the people who on a normal day are not shown love. I wanted to have a party with the special children to make them happy and feel special and that is why I celebrated my birthday with children living with Down’s syndrome. It was also the 10th anniversary of my foundation, PARA, thanks to The Punch because it was an interview that I had with this medium that helped me launch the foundation. It was  ten years and so I decided to celebrate them together.”

Credit: Punch