“Don’t let family break your marriage” — Maame Dokono opens up on love, loss and motherhood
Veteran actress Grace Omaboe, widely known as Maame Dokono, offered a stirring account of her personal journey through love, marriage, and motherhood during A Convergence of Mothers, a women-centered forum held under the theme “Yesterday’s Daughters, Today’s Mothers.”
Addressing an audience of mothers across generations, the celebrated Ghanaian screen icon used her lived experiences to caution couples about the dangers of allowing family interference to undermine their relationships.
“My advice to you is, do not listen to the family. If you listen to your family, your marriage will collapse. Mine collapsed because I listened to family. The marriage was nice; we went abroad and we enjoyed the marriage, but it collapsed,” she shared candidly.
Her comments were part of a broader conversation on the complexities of motherhood in Ghana’s evolving society. Hosted by media personality MzGee, the event served as a space for open dialogue on parenting, mental health, adolescent development, and family dynamics.
Maame Dokono didn’t shy away from detailing her own family history, opening up about the emotional and physical challenges of raising six children with three different partners.
“I have six children, and I went through hell to bring them up. Six children with three men; two with each man. The first two children were twins,” she revealed.
She also recalled a traumatic incident shortly after the birth of her twins, when she was trapped in an elevator at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.
“With the first two children, I almost died. The day I was to come home, I got locked up in the elevator at Korle-Bu, and I thought I was about to die,” she said.
After vowing not to have more children, her stance shifted when she found love again.
“I said I won’t get pregnant again, but when you meet a loved one, your words will not hold any longer. I met another man, and we gave birth to a boy and a girl. That marriage was so nice.”
However, the marriage that had once brought her joy came to an end when she was 40. Still, her journey didn’t stop there.
“When it collapsed, I was 40 years old. I said I won’t get pregnant again, but I met another man and gave birth to two more children and that made it six.”
Apart from relationships, Maame Dokono stressed the importance of being hands-on as a mother, particularly when it comes to child safety and well-being.
“Me, when I have my babies, I don’t leave them with anyone. No matter what, I will take care of my children. It’s better than leaving them with people because you’d never know how they will treat your children,” she advised.
