The first time you meet Mrs. Olayinka Adeyemo in her tricycle (keke), what quickly runs through your mind is, how does this woman cope in a business exclusively reserved for men by society? And then your jaws drop when you realize Mrs. Adeyemo is heavily pregnant! “Women In The Shadows” crew caught up with her for an interview and here is all the lady, who is also a graduate said:
- Please madam, how did you get into this keke (tricycle) business?
“My brother, I’m a graduate, but rather than stay idle coupled with the responsibility of taking care of my young family, a friend of mine encouraged me to take-up this business. First, I got this tricycle through a hire-purchase arrangement from this friend, but now it’s mine because I’m done with paying up the cost of the tricycle.”
- How does it feel operating in a man’s world?
I don’t feel any different. I’m working and the men are working too. The difference is that I get more considerations from bus-stop touts who milk us of our earnings because I’m a woman, and when they see my protruding tummy, they just let me be.
- And your condition?
“I’m only pregnant. I’m not sick. Yes, I’m often tired, but this work is all I have to contribute to my family economy and meet my personal needs”. And your husband? “He‘s been very supportive and my children and family members know this is what I do for a living and they respect me for that”.
- Are making a lot of money?
“I wouldn’t say a lot of money, but it’s better than staying idle, and waiting for my husband to do everything for me.”
The next time anyone sees Mrs. Adeyemo; it could be with her baby strapped to her back or at a corner of the motor-park breastfeeding her baby. What that means is that in today’s world, all the barriers have been broken. And women have no excuse.
