“I wonder how people who don’t have faith actually survive the world because the world is such a cruel place to be. But then because of my exposure to the tenets and discipline of my faith, I survived my childhood better and I’m surviving life better. I am able to forgive easier because of my faith. My faith gave me guidelines on who to marry. My faith helps me choose the right schools for my children. Even to my business, my faith helps me run my business (House of Tara). We are going through a time in Nigeria where the economy is very bad and as such people are depressed but I look at Elijah and how God made provision for him during a famine through a raven and a widow and that’s how God works, He operates in strange ways. This has been my experience of God, this has been my faith experience, it is my ability to take biblical principles and apply to my everyday life.”
Tara Fela Durotoye, (formerly Tara Sagay) was born in Lagos on the 6th of March 1977 into a polygamous family. She was however raised by her friendly and now late step mother who did her best to take care of her. Her Dad, a Federal Commissioner in the Civil Service fell ill later putting paid to her dreams to study abroad…she remained close to him despite the separation from her mums till his departure sometime in 2000.
“Growing up, I used to go to church without my parents, The Ikoyi Baptist Church was just down the road from where we lived. I felt like I was being called by something to go, I didn’t understand it but I kept attending the Church. I had a very spiritual experience on my first day in secondary school. A senior who was a prefect invited all the new girls to her room, actually that’s how people get initiated into all kinds of things but fortunately here I was. She talked to us about the gospel and that night I committed to becoming a Christian not just in terms of a religion but by having an intimate relationship with Jesus and that experience shaped who I am today”
Tara studied Law at the Lagos State University. While in School she would make her friends up for Law dinners and they commended her for it so much so that they were willing to pay for the service. After she graduated, Tara decided to take up make-up as a profession at a time when make-up wasn’t really a thing and thus she founded the popular House Of Tara. She purchased her first make-up kit at #15,000 and made the same amount from her first official job. A daughter of Bishop Oyedepo, she attended the Word of Faith Bible Institute (WOFBI) 1998 October Special (BCC) at Winners Chapel, Raji Oba where the likes of Bishop Oyedepo, Faith Oyedepo, Bishop Abioye and Bishop Aremu taught. A few months after WOFBI, she launched the first bridal directory in Nigeria in 1999 and set up international standard make up studios.
Tara has gone on to empower thousands of women through the Tara Beauty Entrepreneurs Initiative. A regular speaker at conferences and rated by Forbes to be one of the 50 most powerful women in the Nigeria. Tara got married to Fela Durotoye, who she met at the Pastor Adefarasin led House on the Rock (Muson Centre), in May 2001 and their 19 year old marriage is blessed with 3 boys.
#TaraFelaDurotoye
#ChurchGist
Join any of our Telegram Channels.
t.me/ChurchGist
t.me/CGWitness
Sources:
KingWomen
Forbes
