I have a life beyond acting - Empress Njama

There are people who say they love children but have never shown it. But last Saturday, Empress showed how passionate she is with children. When asked why she is so passionate with children to the extent she always marks her birthday with kids, she said:

“It has always been my tradition and I will keep doing it. They are the best people you can celebrate your birthday with. They bring so much joy to you and they are all innocent children and clean-hearted people who would genuinely share your cake and have fun with you. It always has to be the children.”

Coming out to celebrate with the orphanage children when she has the luxury of marking it with friends is exceptional. When asked to tell us why she said her mum once told her of her crave for children and how she felt very relaxed with the, she said:

“When growing, my mum said that when I was younger I was always carrying children of my age, I always try to lift them. So I think that is where I got the love from. And I’m this kind of person that has joy when I have children around me or when I’m around children. It is something that has been within ever since. It’s not like I’m just starting doing this, I have been doing it over the years. I feel very relaxed blessed and free with children.”
The beautiful actress also has special things she do for children like scholarship. She emphasized that every year, she chooses five friends who help in the yearly sponsorship of these children.

“Every year, I pick up five friends and I call them volunteers. These friends will take care of a child each for a year. I picked five in Lagos and I was able to get three in Abuja. But it is for a year. If they want to go further, fine but I pick them for a year. That is just what we do to assist the child. It is just like you assisting the child, most of us enjoy doing it. Most of my friends during our spare time come see the children.”

What a passionate actress. When asked if the five friends she picked are entertainers, she said her friends must not be entertainers because she has a life outside acting and friends who are not colleagues in the industry;

“I have a life outside what I do and my friends must not be my colleagues. These are my friends who know me and know I love children. These are friends who come to support anything I do positively and they are not colleagues like I said earlier, they are friends.”

With this kind of gesture to the kids, coming together with friends and family to celebrate with them, many would say she wants to achieve a purpose but for Empress, she said there is nothing to achieve from what she does because it is what she feels like doing.

“It’s not what anybody has to achieve, it is what I feel and how I feel it. And it has brought so much joy and gladness to me and I will not stop doing it until I probably leave this life. So basically it’s not about the next person, it’s about me, it’s about what I want and what I feel about it. And so far so good, it’s been beautiful. You don’t need to force someone to do what the person had to do. That is why I called them volunteers. You need to volunteer. Look at the children…you need to pick up a child from the street and help the child.”

People have said they haven’t been seeing her of late in movies especially her fans who would like to know what’s been happening to Empress. She emphasized that she can never stop acting because it’s always been inside her. She also run house of Empress and spend some times with the kids.

“I always tell people that you can never stop actors from acting. I do a lot of things aside acting. I have house of Empress in Abuja, boutique, beauty palace and spa. So it took me years to be able to put all this together to make it stand. But I’m going to be on set next month. The little time I have, I do what you know me for and also spend the little time I have with the kids.”

For how she copes with the children and her act, she said there is time for everything; time for her business, time for acting and time for the children.

“They are different altogether, that is why I said the little time I have here, I’m not depressing the children because sometimes when I feel funny I just go to the kids and come back smiling. It has to do with creating time for what you do. I want to thank God for the strength.”

In her words, “Most people don’t understand what a motherless home is. They see it as a dumping ground for kids and let the government take care of them. They need to go to school to experience the feelings of kids who have parents. What I’m doing right now doesn’t make them (the kids) feel motherless.
When they have people around them, it makes them grow stronger and give them hope for the future. I think they should actually come see what it is and not hear what it is. See what it is and do what you have to do from your heart.”

Apart from her charity work, she said her acting career is there and will continue to be there. And she loves to be adventurous. Njamah stated that she will not specify what we should expect from her because God holds the future;

“My acting career has been there and will continue to be there. We can’t run away. Even if I’m 80 years, I will have a role. But I need to tackle other things you know because I’m very adventurous. I always try to bring up new things and new stuff every time.
I’m not that kind of person that will just sit in a place, I like to do things. I will not say this is what you should expect from me but I will say whatever God decides I will do.”

The actress said she already has two movies to her credit and prefers talking about things she has done;

“I have two movies already. I don’t like to talk about things but I like to do things and talk about them. I don’t want to dictate for God but God should dictate for me. I don’t want to say I will produce a movie next month and you don’t see it. But I will prefer telling you the ones I have done.”

Aside acting, how does Empress unwind and what are her hobbies?

“My brother, I no get hobby o…(Laugh), I’m just one happy child, I do anything that comes. Like now we could just have a conference and play games, I like to cook in as much as I’m a woman, I cook well. So do what you have to do and do it right.”