Mama Victoria Aderinola Adebowale, “Ebun Oluwa Omoyemi Omo Balogun Dodondawa“ was born on October 21st, 1927 in Ijebu Igbo to the family of late Pa Samuel Odumakinde and Mama Osunbanke Odusina (nee Osunboyejo). She was the second daughter of her mother, who had four children before her death. Her mother died when she was about 12 years old, and she was charged with the responsibility of taking care of her younger siblings in the absence of her father, who was a renowned Cocoa Merchant in the early 1900’s.
Mama’s educational life started from Ojowo United Primary School where she was made the “Iya Egbe” also known as the Head girl because of her stewardship, brilliancy, hard work and dedication in school. She completed her Standard Six, proceeded to write the exam for Model School in Ijebu-Ode where she performed excellently. However, she experienced gender discrimination that cut short her ambition to proceed to secondary school. She was forced to choose between marrying or be married off as one of the wives of the then Orimolusi (the ruler of Ijebu Igbo land).
Mama, against all odds, faced the challenge and prayerfully stood her ground without giving in. In her struggle to surmount the obstacles, and further her studies, she took up the job of a teacher in Oru, a town located between Ago-Iwoye and Ijebu-Igbo. She impacted knowledge to students with so much joy before she was later introduced into training as a Nurse in Abeokuta with the missionaries.
In her quest to make an impact in her generation, she left home without informing anyone except her younger brother, late Dr. Jonathan Popoola Odubayo Odusina, and proceeded to Sacred Heart School of Nursing, Abeokuta. While there, she stayed at Ago-Oko and regularly worshipped at St Paul’s Anglican Church, located at Igbore, Abeokuta. Mama loved singing, was a member of the choir, and she was a very good singer till her death.
Mama returned to Ijebu-Igbo after she completed her training and waited for a miracle which happened six months later. Her friend’s elder brother introduced her to a nursing job opening in Kwara state, in the old Northern Region which she picked interest in and worked there for a while. She would later return home (in the old Western Region) few years after service at Ilorin General Hospital because of ‘Northernisation Policy’ that was being implemented in the region, to Ilisan Health Centre and later to Oru. She went back to school and studied in Midwifery at Eleyele School of Nursing, after which she started working with the health sector at different times in Ibadan, Saki, and Igbo-Ora.
While in Ibadan, she worked in Onireke, before moving to Sagamu, and later to Isara and back to Sagamu, where she became the first Nurse to open a School Clinic at the then Methodist Teachers Training College, all in Ogun state, where she would later retire as a Senior Nursing Sister. She never forgot her days and services as a Nurse till she took her last breath.
Mama was a devout Christian, a woman of prayer and great fortitude. She often mentioned “Wa la ipa ti ẹ́ ja lai leewu” in her prayers. She was industrious, reputable, dependable, trustworthy, and very neat. She was God-fearing, a disciplinarian hard-working woman, a good role model and a mother par excellence. She was an active member of Christian Charity Band of All Saints Anglican Church, Mabayoje Street, Oshodi until her death.
She married late Pa John Adekunle Adebowale “Omo Obadimeji” around 1951 and the marriage was blessed with God fearing children, many grandchildren, and great grandchildren.
Please join us in celebrating a life well lived of Mama Victoria Aderinola Ebola Aduke Adebowale a.k.a Mama Nurse.