All roads led to the house of veteran Yoruba actress, Idowu Philips, better known as Iya Rainbow, on May 27, as she put smiles on the faces of widows.
Immediately after having a deep conversation with the women and giving them a befitting party, she also gathered children together to celebrate the Children’s Day.
Iya Rainbow, who lost her husband many years ago and chose not to remarry, urged widows to only rely on God for survival and strength. According to her, putting their hopes on men will only bring ridicule and disappointment.
Speaking about her gesture towards widows, she noted that she had been running a non-governmental organisation, Mama Rainbow Foundation, which catered to widows.
She stated, “For this year’s event, we wanted everyone to know about it. As you can see, it is taking place in my house at Ojodu Berger, Lagos. I built a church for God there too.
“In the past, all I did for widows was between me and God. You know I am also a widow; I lost my husband, Ayanfemi Phillips, over 30 years ago. I went through a lot, which explains why I am helping widows. Being a widow doesn’t mean one should just sit in one place without doing anything and waiting on the government for help. I try to help widows whenever I see them because I understand their plights.”
Iya Rainbow said that she was happy with the turnout of the event, noting that it was proof that people loved her. She explained, “I am happy that people came out when I called them. Everyone was happy and I know they would continue to pray for me. I tried to encourage them and they were happy I did.
“God has been merciful. As the programme was going on, some people brought bags of rice. They said they saw it on Instagram and they knew Iya Rainbow couldn’t be telling lies. Yesterday (Tuesday) too, someone sent me money from the United Kingdom. People knew I was doing it privately but when I decided to make it known to the public, they wanted to be part of it.”
She revealed that God had told her that once she extended a helping hand to people, she would never lack anything in life.
She added, “Although it wasn’t easy to put things together for the event, God had told me that I would never lack.”
She, however, admitted that she was getting assistance from people such as Rev. Mother Esther Abimbola Ajayi, aka, Iya Adura; Alhaja Muraina, Chief Toyin Kolade, and a host of others.
“In my house alone, I feed over 20 people. There are different mothers with children living with me. There are also many who have graduated from tertiary institutions. When people visit me, they think I am hosting an event. But when I tell them it’s what I do every day, they are usually amazed and they help in any way they can,” she explained.
On why she didn’t invite her colleagues from the entertainment industry to support her on the occasion, she insisted that “God’s support is enough.”
Thanking God for keeping her relevant in the industry, she recalled the loud ovation she received from influential persons in Nigeria in a recent party. She opened up, “I still get good deals from television commercials but it is not about the money for me. When I went to Kemi Nelson’s birthday party, everyone was shouting ‘Iya Airtel.’ Even Senator Adeola Olamilekan, aka, Yayi, was singing ‘gele mi ga ju ti e lo.’ Many actors have been forgotten but I thank God I am not.
“Everything in life is not about money. If you are looking for money and you are given respect, you better be happy. If there is money and people don’t respect you, what will you do?”
She maintained that she was still fully involved in acting, saying, “Recently, I was in a location to shoot 26 episodes of a series. Also, I will be producing an English movie this year. Even though Yoruba dialect will still be added, it will be 80 per cent English because I want to take it all over the world.”
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