Sanyeri "I used to be a mobile cobbler"- actor

Yoruba actor, Olaniyi Afonja also known as Sanyeri, is serving motivation to his fans after revealing that he was once a shoe maker before he got the opportunity to become a star.

The actor, who stated this in an interview with Punch News, said he found it difficult to make a living after finishing secondary school, due to this, he resorted to learning how to become a cobbler

His participation in acting in Oyo State did not give him the sort of reward he anticipated. Even after relocating to Lagos, his situation remained the same.

“The suffering I endured was really extreme. After I finished my secondary school education, I did not have a job so I delved into the theatre world. I did it for some time but I was not being paid even when I went everywhere with the group and was helping them carry their costume."

"I had to learn how to repair shoes so I became a shoe cobbler. Eventually, I left Oyo town and came to Lagos to find greener pastures but still I was not earning anything from acting."

“I became a mobile cobbler. I would put my materials in a wooden box, place it on my shoulder and start hitting it as I walked the length and breadth of Idumota."

"I would constantly hit my wooden box as I walked about to call the attention of people. Then nobody knew me so I kept hitting my box all over Idumota."

“I remember I had a handkerchief I used to cover my face because of my tribal marks."

"The reason I concealed my tribal marks was because the Igbo boys at Idumota had the belief that if they did not give their shoes to a Ghanaian cobbler, no one could do a better job."

"If they saw my tribal marks, they would think I was one of the touts that would normally come to disturb them for money for shop and they would not give me their shoes to repair." 

"When I saw that being a shoe cobbler was affecting my career as an actor, I had to quit and face acting squarely. I thank God that good fortunes have come my way.”

Sanyeri recently talked about an unfortunate accident that occurred while he was on a movie set.

He broke his leg while playing a character with a spiritual problem in one of the movies he is producing. The actor is currently recuperating though with leg cast on.