A Promoter of African Culture, who never rest till her dream is accomplished

By Okechukwu Onuegbu

Her name is Nwannekaego Peace Campo (nee Eze) but her artist stage name is Nwanne Campo. Born into a royal and wealthy family 45 years ago in Onitsha (Anambra State), Nwanne, an indigenous daughter of Ukehe, Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State grew up at G.R.A. Enugu, which was where she equally acquired her primary and secondary school education prior to studying Sociology at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.

Also, this multiple awards winning showbiz guru, humanitarian, activist and motivational speaker/writer doubles as a model beauty /fashion consultant, actress, radio presenter, model coach, a fashion designer, and maker of a brand of raw silk heavily embroidered and beades George wrappers and blouses. Nwanne’s career in the entertainment world begun at age of ten because it was then she reportedly formed a dancing group, planned and anchored events as Masters of Ceremony (MC).

Intriguingly, when she was 19 years old, she met her love of life, Ignacio Campo, an Engineer from Spain, at Savage Crescent Street G.R.A Enugu. The man had moved into the duplex where her Japanese godparents, Engineer and Mrs Kurosawa lived, and the news got to Nwanne at Awka where she was studying that the new "Master" of her second home was a racist, and had fired all the staff working in the compound when she was a kid. On returning Enugu for vacation, she saw him cutting the grass in his compound, and accused him of been a racist and stingy man, who preferred to do the chores by himself rather than employing labourer, and the man attacked her back, calling her a small girl and ignorant.

When love grew between them much later, the Princess of Ukehe kingdom turned off numerous suitors knocking at her heart, including a monarch, who bought her a Pathfinder car as a gift to marry his USA based son, and tied a knot with the white man at age of 20; a decision which made her people to misconstrue her as a crazy damsel because her hubby was considered poor and a commoner.

In 1993 Nigeria’s political crisis (oso Abiola), Nwanne took a harder decision as Ignacio while leaving to Spain, insisted on travelling with their only daughter should she decide not to follow them because she was in her final year in the university. In order not to miss either of them, Nwanne followed her daughter and husband to their country.

Apart from severe winter cold that welcomed Nwanne in Spain, language barrier and dissimilarities between the lifestyles of her husband’s people and Nigeria taught her a bigger lesson. That was because neither her father-in-law nor mother-in-law comprehends English language. However, her father -in – law would still send her on errands to buy things without listing them on papers.

Again, in her husband’s town, Santander, Nwanne was the first and only African. Those were the years Spanish view Africans as primitive people with no houses, schools, hospitals, etc. even as their television stations mostly showcased the remote part of Africa where kids run around naked as houseflies perch on the mucus on their noses. As a result she was faced with different challenges. First was a tale of an aged woman, who once asked her if the Spanish novel she was reading in the park had pictures in the pages because the Spaniard thought she was watching pictures. Even when she replied her that she was reading the novel, the woman still drew closer and looked at it for confirmation.

Also, because it was only the father-in-law and her hubby that loved the black, other members of the family made mockery of her whenever she erred in their cultural ways of living. For instance, the ways Africans dress bed, hang cloths, and so on were mysterious to Spanish special way of hanging clothes, dressing the bed, cooking, setting the table, eating and so on. And rather to correct her, those people would call on the female neighbours to come and see how the "negra" (black) hung clothes. These and others forced Nwanne into learning Spanish language and lifestyles in six months without enrolling into their schools.

Ever since then, Nwanne who is a serving Welfare Director, Actors Guild of Nigeria in Spain is into promoting African culture and made in Nigeria products in order to encourage Nigerians to embrace and teach their children their languages, food, traditional attires, among other things.

Similarly, the 24 years old married Nwanne has two issues; a professional nurse and an undergraduate, even as she is passionate about helping the less privileged and Africans in Diaspora. That is why she once worked as a volunteer worker in a Spanish NGO, Tartessos, which specialises on accommodating; sheltering and helping thousands of Africans that got to Spain through the sea, including the sick, pregnant women and single mothers with babies, to secure residence permit and other things at any city of their choice.

On social media platforms such as facebook, twitter, linkedin, Instgrams, and blogs/website, Nwanne is 24 hours active, advocating for love, happy homes, patriotism, human rights, peace and unity, and other things she believed would turn the world into a paradise for every single person on earth.

Likewise, Nwanne is into organising and participating on intercultural projects being hosted by the local Authorities to help breach the gap between the Spaniards and the immigrants. Among them is Cadiz (Southern Spain) and Pielagos in Northern Spain. These her various humanitarian services have earned her recognitions/awards from Spanish local authorities and most African organisations in Europe such as the Voice Achievers African woman in Diaspora (Almere, Holland); Woman of Dignity by Deborah women's award organised by a Christian organisation at Valencia, Spain; a Medal of Honour as the best Nigerian Mc in Spain organised by Anambra State Association of Malaga in Spain; and Best Nigerian Event Planner by NEU award committee in Europe. Also, she was nominated as Best community activist by Igbo women awards; and Best event planner by Beffta awards; etc.

Through her Japanese godparents and husband, who inspired her into tourism and photography, Nwanne had lived in different cities of Nigeria and Spain namely; Awka, Enugu, Onitsha, Port Harcourt, Lagos, (Nigeria); and Cadiz, and Santander (Spain); and had also travelled to Kaduna, Oturkpo (Benue State), Asaba (Delta State ), Abuja, Lagos, Abakiliki (all in Nigeria); Madrid, Valencia, Malaga, Sevilla, Vitoria, Bilbao, Zaragoza, Gijon, Burgos; Rome (Italy); Amsterdam and Almere (both in Holland); Paris (France); Germany; even as she is about visiting Asia and India whose attires like lengha, kameez and Tikka necklace sets she so much cherished.

This dreamer, who never rests till she accomplished her goals, had numerous friends from Africa, Europe, Asia and America, and speedily planning to produce more of her brand of clothes, shoes, bags and other fashion accessories, as well as to relocate her humanitarian projects to Nigeria.