Ope Odufuwa is a medical doctor in the employ of the Lagos State Government, wife of the Archbishop of Ibadan Province of the African Church of Nigeria, archbishop Augustine Odufuwa and the head of the women organisation of the church.In this interview with TAYO GESINDE, she speaks on how she has been combining her medical career with the homefront. Excerpts:
What led you into medicine?
I had always wanted to be a doctor. I think it was because I like caring for people. I do not like seeing people being helpless so, medicine helps me to reach out to people who are ill, weak and helpless.
How has the journey been like?
It has been up and down. However, if you love your career, irrespective of the challenges you face, you won’t give up. Since you know it is something you love, the challenges won’t stop you, in fact, it will actually strengthen you. You get to learn more and become stronger. It helps you to see how better or best you can manoeuvre some things you could never thought you would overcome. It is just a completely new experience every time, there are times you encounter the same things and sometimes, there are new experiences and because you love what you are doing, the negative part or challenge will not stop you.
How have you been able to combine your role as a bishop’s wife, being the head of the women organisation, medical doctor and a mother?
Despite the fact that I’m a doctor, I try to be around as much as possible to take care of my family. God has been helping me to combine all the roles. I thank God that I have a mother and sister who also assist me in taking care of the home front. Also, the women under my care have access to me. I don’t have to be physically present all the time. They have my phone number and can contact me any time.
What advice do you have for women on how to bring up godly children in this era of social media and internet?
I know our world is very crazy and so disorderly. It is so fast, so many things are happening at the speed of light. Things change every day now, when we were growing up, a trend will last for two or three years but now, new trends are out every two weeks or months. The thing is, even in our busy schedule , especially in a place like Lagos, with the traffic and the hectic lifestyle, parents need to spend quality time with their children. know that after a hectic day, many parents just want to sleep, even if it is a day, in a week, you can sacrifice an hour of your sleep to wake up your children, have mother-to-child or-father-to-child talk with them. That talk can keep them for a very long time, and if you do it every week, it is something they will always have to fall back on anytime there is temptation to do something wrong. I always counsel parents not to discard anything their children tell them, even if it sounds stupid. Ponder on what they said and you might even carry out your own investigations if need be. If children know they have their parents’ ears, it gives them some sort of confidence and the advice you give them from time to time is like a light that keeps shining on their parts and help them to take the right decisions.
How can we protect our children from being abused?
That is a big challenge for many parents, because you can’t be everywhere your children are. You cannot follow them to school. However, what you can do is to be your children’s friend. Talk to them, educate them. If they have any issue, let them be able to tell you. Like, I told my Sunday school children, ‘‘anything you cannot tell your parents, come, and tell Doctor Ope, I will believe you. If that person says he or she will kill you, it’s lie, you cannot die, come and tell me, you will see that nothing will happen to you.’’ If children have such confidence, even when they are facing such things they will be able to talk to you about it. If a parent confronts a person that ‘’I learnt you are molesting my child,” the person will run. If it is possible for your children’s school to be close to your work place, it will be better. You will be able to keep an eye on them. All these would help to reduce the chances of children being molested.
Can you share with us tips for a successful marriage?
Many people would say, marry your friend. But one thing I will always say is, remove all these Cinderella and Prince Charming stuff you read in romance novels off your mind, things like that only happen in novels. When you want to get married, know whom you are marrying, know that the person is not perfect, just like you are not perfect. Before you marry him or her, find out if you can live with his or her shortcomings. Once you make up your mind that you can cope with it, then be ready and be patient.
What advice do you have for young people?
Well, the future is bright; they should look at the future with bright hope. There will be challenges, I will not lie to you that, if you go to school, get a certificate, things will be rosy. There will be challenges on the way but whatever happens, don’t give up. As long as you are still living, there is still hope. Keep moving, seek help when you need help, and trust God. God created every one of us for a purpose, never leave out the God factor. In fact, God should be number one in the life of everybody. He has told us there would be challenges so, trust him, continue doing your own bit and you will overcome.
Being a woman of many parts, how do you unwind?
I read books, I listen to music, I love music a lot, I watch TV but I’m not crazy about it. Another thing I do is that I deliberately learn some skills that I did not have the opportunity to learn. That is another thing I would like to say, it is never too late to learn anything. I learnt tailoring after medicine school; I learnt baking during my secondary school days. I learnt hat making before I went for National Youth Service Corp (NYSC). Therefore, there is no time you cannot. During the COVID-19 lockdown, I learnt how to bake bread, I just saw it on youtube and learnt it. In fact, my husband said I should be making bread for them at home. It is never too late to learn a skill as long as you have your hand and leg, with your eyes, your brain.
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