Our story as a couple started in 1998 while doing our serving our nation in Gombe State, Nigeria. For us till date, we say there wouldn't be any meeti
Our story as a couple started in 1998 while doing our serving our nation in Gombe State, Nigeria. For us till date, we say there wouldn’t be any meeting point for Tunde and Bridget if not for the compulsory National Youth Service Corps program set up by the Nigerian government as a unifying program for all Nigerians after graduating from college.
Born and raised in the South-South of Nigeria, Bridget had no close interactions with northerners and Northern Nigeria, except perhaps for immigrant traders and workers. She had never even conceived the possibility of living there. Not with the abundance of attractions, the South held with its rich foods, cultural heritage, modern attractions, and appealing weather. She was content with her Bendel (now Benin in Edo and Delta States) heritage.
Tunde, on the other hand, was raised in the North-West, though born to parents from the South-West. His entire worldview was shaped by a mix of Hausa and Yoruba influences, so the thought of marrying a Southern belle from a minority tribe known for their boisterous nature did not feature in his mind. What with the easy pace of life he had grown accustomed to.
Thus, somewhere in the North-East, two strangers ― one, an Ekiti man born and brought up in Sokoto State with tertiary education in Niger State; and the other, a Bendel-raised woman born to Edo and Itshekiri parents with a dash of Ijaw heritage ― met and began a friendship that has spanned over twenty-two years since 1998. Four years later, we calcified our friendship in a cross-cultural marriage with tribal influences from almost every part of Nigeria. Eighteen years after, we are still glad we made the decision to marry each other.
We see our meeting as ‘Godincidence’, as God brought us to a place of acceptance with our parents who dropped all their tribal biases to see us, not as different ethnicities, but as two children in love who can make a great future together.
On June 14th, 2021, it became 18 years of doing life together as husband and wife and we are still happy we married each other as we remain great friends to date. Also, our values are similar even though we are from different tribes and were raised differently.
Tunde being Northern born, is cool, calm, and collected with a stubbornness only those that grow up in the North can understand. That ‘stubbornness’ serves us in our values and integrity as he stands for what he believes is the right thing to do. Bridget adds colour to our home with her Edo/Delta way of doing things and pampers me with love and care while respecting my opinions when we see things differently, which is often.
We respect each other’s opinions as we compromise to make decisions for our wellbeing and that of our three biological children, including the many individuals that call us parents from across Nigeria because of the work we do as family life coaches, teachers, trainers, and speakers.
Our marriage is a product of true love. We are different but have similar values as we see beyond our tribes to understand each other to make our marriage work. We are one now and what binds us is beyond tribal bonds.
Today, we talk to families and organisations about teamwork because we know what it takes to come from different backgrounds yet work together as one to make progress. Our marriage is progressive because we are committed to making it work by treating each other with love, respect, kindness, and trust. We stay committed to each other by our words and deeds.
Truth be told, our marriage is an affirmation of Nigeria we all desire, where everyone is a product of love as the love that binds us is greater than the differences we see. We see differently but love deeply; we look out for each other, and we maximise our differences to stay in love, enjoying peace and unity always.
We are Tunde and Bridget Elesin aka TeamElesin, and we are a product of love!
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