Nigerian singer, Joseph Akinwale Akinfenwa-Donus, better known as Joeboy, recently opened up about a painful experience from his childhood that motivated him to support underprivileged children.
In a heartfelt interview, Joeboy recalled the embarrassment of being sent home from school for unpaid fees during his junior secondary school years, an experience that left a lasting impact on him.
He shared the emotional memory of being mocked by his classmates when his name was called out in front of the class for owing school fees. “When I was younger, I used to owe school fees a lot, and it used to get embarrassing. When I was in JSS 3, the secretary that used to come and announce the names of those owing fees came, and before she even began, the whole class said my name, ‘Akinfewa Joseph.’ It pained me,” Joeboy recalled.
The painful incident left Joeboy deeply hurt, and he even vowed not to return to school. “It hurt me so much, and I went back home and told my parents that I was never going back to that school again. I didn’t care, I pulled myself out, and I wasn’t going anywhere,” he said.
However, rather than letting the experience hold him back, Joeboy used it as fuel for his future endeavors. Motivated by his childhood struggles, he founded the Young Legend Foundation just two months ago, aiming to help children who are facing similar financial challenges. “That gave me the dream to do something, which was to help people who can’t afford to pay their school fees, so I just opened a foundation,” he explained.
Through his foundation, Joeboy and his team have been paying school fees for children in need, a cause that brings him immense joy. “We’ve been paying people’s school fees, so my inner child is very excited about that,” he added.
Joeboy emphasized the psychological toll that such experiences can have on children, explaining that while it was not the child’s fault, the social stigma often creates unnecessary emotional pain. “It’s crazy what something like that can do to someone mentally. I mean, it’s not the child’s fault that they can’t pay their fees, right? But people made it seem like it was my fault, and it was embarrassing, and it pained me that time,” he reflected.
The singer’s personal story of overcoming adversity has now turned into a mission to provide hope and support to those who need it most.
