Helen Oritsejafor
Helen Oritsejafor is a Teacher, Preacher, Author, Industrialist, Philanthropist, Co-pastor of Word of Life Bible Church International Gospel Centre, headquartered in Ajamimogha, Warri, Delta State, Nigeria and wife of former President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Ayo Oritsejafor.
Born on the 9th of June, she hails from Ado-Ekiti. Her father, Chief Gabriel Ojo Falegan was an extremely rich man and elder statesman in Ado-Ekiti. Her mother died while she was four years old, leaving her father to play the dual role of being a father and mother. Her father was loving and caring so much that she lacked nothing. Helen adored her father majorly because of his philanthropic nature of catering for children, one of the traits she picked from him and is well known for today. Her father was an educationist. He believed so much in education. In the family, you couldn’t just have a first degree and say you got something. Little wonder she travelled overseas for her University studies. She studied in England holding a first degree in Mass communication and a Masters Degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Liverpool.
At age 8, Helen had an experience that described her first time hearing God’s voice. Her, alongside her siblings and cousins were invited for a naming ceremony of a family friend. She was just about to enter the house when a woman at the house approached her and told her she wanted to give her a plate of rice. As a child, she was excited. By the time she got to where the food was set out, just trying to pick the plate, a hand pushed her hand over and led her to pick another plate. She couldn’t resist the hand. Then she heard a voice saying, “Don’t”. Her cousin who was by her side picked the plate she wanted to pick and ate the food. By the time they got home, her cousin started convulsing and later died. Helen would have been the one who died in place of her cousin if she had eaten the food but God saved her. This experience became a basis for her belief in God.
From that moment on, Helen pursued God and would fast and pray. Her father was always surprised that a young girl was so passionate about God. With the innocence of just been a child longing for God, she would just be in a corner crying, repeating the same words, “Lord I love you, I want to serve you”. She went to school in the United Kingdom, got her First degree and Masters and started doing business which was doing exceedingly well. Her love for God didn’t diminish as she continued to serve God in church and became an Evangelist. She described her experience, “I was invited over to a church and the servant of God who was to minister was just about to open his bible and start speaking when he stopped and said: “There is someone here the Lord is leading me to”. So, he left the Altar and walked to where I was. The next thing, he just handed me his microphone and told me the Lord said I will be preaching today. And I said: What am I going to be preaching?” I didn’t even plan for this. I walked down to where the pulpit was, opened the scriptures and by the time I was done, it was over two hours. That was the beginning of my Ministry.”
Years later, an extreme urge came on her to return to Nigeria. She prayed about it and finally did. As a business oriented person who had to leave her business in the United Kingdom, she started establishing businesses in Nigeria and delved into several sectors. She started bringing in SMA baby food from the UK to Nigeria. She also started a road construction company, rural electrification and a bank with some of her friends. She became a millionaire in her 20s. She also played a great role in creating Ekiti State from Ondo State and to honour her for her participation, she was offered the position of a commissioner. One day at her office, she got a call from a friend who told her a prominent man of God was in town and since she loved prayers, she decided to go and meet him with her friend. In her words, “We went to Ikeja at Sheraton Hotel. We were at the lounge, waiting for the man of God. I had no clue who this man of God was. I have never meant him. I have never watched or seen him preach before. With my British sense, when a woman walks into a room, it is expected that the men should stand but when it is a man that walks in, the women there sit and the men could decide to stand or not. But when this man showed up, I stood on my feet. It was spontaneous for me.
We got into conversation. Then, I told him: “Excuse me sir, we actually came here for prayers”. But as he started to pray, we bowed our heads, and before I knew it, I found myself positioned by him and I heard a voice: “This is your husband”. Yes, that was the experience I had. It was very hard for me because I wasn’t planning to marry a pastor. My first reaction was that it wasn’t going to happen. So, I decided to wait on the Lord. I took a fast and all that. And on the seventh day, just as I was about to round up, my phone rang. Lo and behold, it was him. And I just heard on the other side: “My name is Ayo Oritsejafor, may I speak with Helen”. It is still as powerful and strong as ever.” This was how she met Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor. In 1997, they got married.
It was challenging for Helen because she had to leave everything she had worked for. She left a commissioner job, her companies and relocated to Warri with her husband, at a challenging time when there was inter-tribal war. Her friends walked up to her calling her a complete waste. In her words, “my friend walked up to me on my wedding day and said: “what a waste? So you mean you will leave all these for something that you don’t even know. I mean this is a complete waste”, but she knew God was leading her and didn’t back off. It wasn’t easy for her when she got to Warri. She described her experience thus, “Finally I got to Warri. It wasn’t a joke. It was a completely different world entirely. I got to church. The church wasn’t as built as it is now. I mean it was a complete dark world for me. At some point I would say: “What have I done to God to deserve this?” But I knew I was a woman on a mission. I promised that I will do my husband good for the rest of my life. And that is the oil, the tonic that keeps driving me; and it
is a great honor to stand by his side.”
Helen has been a great pillar of support to Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor. No wonder, he calls her “the Actualizer”. He has gushed about her being one of the strongest support system to his Ministry and dreams. As someone who is into construction, she played a great role in the rapid completion of the over 35000-seater International Gospel Centre. She is also the President of the women wing of the church, known as Daughters of Sarah Fellowship which was founded in 1998. Together with her husband, they have been taking the Gospel of salvation, deliverance and healing to the Nations of the World. They host the yearly International Convention “Daughters of Sarah Convention” and a two week trade fair where business men and women and companies gather to tell the world about their businesses. She also manages the several businesses of the church. She is a woman of vast knowledge and experience in the world of business both locally and internationally for over 30 years. She is the Chief Executive Officer of Eagle Flight Microfinance Bank, that has been used as a tool to empower so many around her community and beyond. Some of the responsibilities she currently handles include: Chairman, Eagle Heights International Schools; African Broadcasting Network TV Station, Eagle Bureau de Change Limited, Eagles Day-care and Foundation, Eagle Flight Micro Finance Bank Limited, Eagle Nest Guest House, Eagle Wings Secured Insurance Brokerage Limited, Eagle Fitness Centre and Eagle Strength Bookshop.
Helen is also a well-known Philanthropist who has empowered so many people. She runs an orphanage where children are being catered for. Through the Eagle Hands Foundation, scholarships have been given to over 800 children for their education from primary school to the university level and also empowers women especially widows to start businesses and also contributing to the business growth of several others by providing funds and resources. The church in conjunction with Eagle Flight Micro Finance Bank have a purse with which corporate social responsibility is met. A Community Empowerment Project was inaugurated to see how market women can be trained on several vocations to help them start businesses. It has also provided free start- up loans to small and medium scale businesses for over a decade.
She pioneered the launching of the African Broadcasting Network (ABN) which currently broadcasts in Africa, parts of Europe and the Middle East reaching millions of people across the globe. She is also a TV host on the Broadcasting Network. As a result of her love for education, she started the Eagle Heights International School, Warri. She also started a mentorship program known as “the CEO’s company” to mentor women into becoming successful women in all aspects of life, teaching them managerial skills in both the business world and family.
She is a recipient of many National and International awards. In 2019, she was confered a Honorary Citizenship of the State of Georgia and Congressional Commendation by the Georgia General Assembly United States of America. In the same year, she was given the Silver Jubilee award by the National Women Wing of Christian Association of Nigeria (WOWICAN), Niger Delta Icon of Peace Award by the Niger Delta Peace Ambassador Organization in consultative status with the United Nations and Noble African woman in Leadership Award (NAWL) by the Pan African Girl Child Education Foundation. In 2020, she won the African Female Impact Leadership Award, United Nations Global Award and was presented with a Honorary Doctorate Degree of Divinity from Trinity International University of Ambassadors.
She is also the Author of “Joyfully Together: Keys to enjoying your Relationship” and “You too can become a Success”.
She is married to Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor and they have three children.
Source
MamaHelen.com
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