Ghanaian actress, Belinda Naa Ode Oku, well-known in Ghana’s entertainment circles as Adwoa Smart, has revealed that her journey to the screen was far from ordinary. She credited her breakthrough to the guidance of television icon Grace Omaboe, popularly called Maame Dokono.

Before fame, Adwoa Smart was a young school dropout striving to survive. She explained in an interview with Adom FM that she worked as a trader at the Kaneshie Market, determined not to rely on others for support.

“I didn’t want to depend on anyone, so, I was hustling at the market. I sold anything and everything, and I had a steady flow of customers,” she recalled.

Her life took a new turn when a woman who admired her introduced her to Maame Dokono. At first, the actress said, Maame Dokono was unsure about her.

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“When Maame Dokono saw me, she was quite skeptical, but she asked me to dance for her. Like an audition, I did it, and she seemed satisfied.

“She introduced me to the performing arts and also gave me a job at her drinking spot as a waitress. We would go for shoots during the day, and at night, I worked at her place,” Adwoa Smart recounted.

That opportunity opened the door to acting roles in some of Ghana’s most beloved television productions, including Obra, Efiewura, and Bongo Bar, roles that secured her place as a household name in the industry.