• The musician says she was worried over the economic quagmire and wished she died
• That prayer, she says, was said out of ignorance
The challenges she was confronted with during the early stages of her life were so frustrating that she prayed to God to take her life, Celestine Donkor has said.
According to the gospel musician, her family wallowed in poverty, making it impossible to pay for her school fees when she gained admission to Labone Senior Secondary School. Considering that she was a brilliant student, Celestine Donkor said she was in a quandary as it was evident that her dream to be in school would not be a reality.
“I prayed to God to take my life. I was young. I was overwhelmed by the challenges I faced. I was the best student in my class from primary school through to JSS”, she recalled. “I was one of the few students who passed with distinction in our district. Because of money, everyone was furthering their education but for me. I wept. My mother also wept. I prayed and asked God why?”
“My first choice was Labone Secondary School. My name was on the list. We were told how much to pay. My parents tried to raise the money but they couldn’t. After a month, they were able to raise funds but the school said admission was over.”
The award-winning musician who now has a degree from the University of Ghana said although she was broken by the news, she suggested to her parents to enrol her in another school.
“I saw an advert on TV about a new school, Insaaniyya Senior High School, so I told my parents to take me there for inquiries. It was a new school with a nice environment and we were the first batch”, she said, adding that that was the beginning of her success story.
“We were just about going on vacation. I usually sang during morning devotion. My school mother called me and asked me to sing. She said she wanted to take me to her church to go and sing. We went, I sang, people showered money on me. When I was done, a man walked up to me and asked where my parents were. I said they were home. He said he wanted to give me a scholarship. I didn’t know who he was. It was later that they told me he’s Azumah Nelson, the renowned Ghanaian boxer."
Today, Celestine Donkor looks back and smiles because of her conviction that God had a plan for her. She said on Restoration With Stacy that she is “amazed at how God miraculously touched the man’s heart at a point of need.”
“How would I have met him [Azumah] if I had attended Labone Secondary School?” she asked.
When news of her scholarship got to her mother, she was told about how unsuccessful the mother was in her attempt to abort her, an indication that she was destined to be a great personality.
Celestine Donkor has collaborated with several colleagues and produced hit songs.
She has six albums to her credit - Gye Wadea (2007), Restoration (2010), Righteousness (2015), Turning Around (2015), Okronkronhene (2018) and Bread of Life (2019).
She has won a number of awards including Gospel Song of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year at the 2020 Vodafone Ghana Music Awards; Gospel Song of the Year at the 2020 3Music Awards; Album of the Year, Collaboration of the Year at the 2019 National Gospel Music Awards; Best Gospel Video at the 2009 MTN Music Video Awards.
