Popular media personality Denrele Edun has shared a moving story of how poverty and failure shaped his life.
In a heartfelt interview with Priscimedia, the award-winning host revealed how his once-prosperous family fell into unexpected hardship, pushing him to rewrite his family’s destiny.
“We were moving to a mad duplex,” Denrele began. “My dad was doing so good. He opened a big bakery in the area.” However, the tide suddenly turned. “He loses everything,” he says, and their once-comfortable life came crashing down.
The family was forced to relocate to an unfinished building with no doors or windows.
“We couldn’t even afford three square meals. We couldn’t even eat one.”
Denrele’s story sheds light on how tough times can test the human spirit.
He recounted how they survived on cassava from a nearby farm.
“I remember always jumping the fence to the next compound, to the farm,” he shared. “We’ll cut cassava, then we’ll boil cassava for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.”
Life became even more difficult with no stove or modern appliances.
“We had to be using this coal pot,” he recalled. “You fan before it caught fire.”
His mother, who was pregnant at the time and from a foreign country, also struggled to adjust.
“Another woman would just pack her children and go to her country,” Denrele said, noting her strength.
Meanwhile, school fees became a burden. “My mom could not even afford to pay for my common entrance,” he revealed.
Working as a teacher, she was often misunderstood by her colleagues due to her frustration.
“All the other teachers were reporting her… that we don’t know what’s wrong with Anita. She’s angry.”
However, rather than giving in to despair, Denrele chose to rise.
“What am I going to do? I’m going to steal? I’m going to beg? No,” he said. His experience with poverty and failure served as motivation. “I worked very hard to get my family out,” he said.
Despite his young age, Denrele recalled being judged for his appearance.
“I didn’t have church clothes. I used to wear my school uniform,” he explained. In his community, he was nicknamed “poor Indian boy.” Still, he kept his head high.
“I made a promise to myself that I would never find myself in this kind of situation again.”
Now an award-winning television personality, actor, and dancer, Denrele has clearly fulfilled that promise.
“I have not only changed the narrative, I’ve rewritten my family history,” he said. “I’ve broken the chains of poverty.”
Under every sweet smelling rose lie tons of thorns. Just keep pushing