Being Nigerian with 14 Siblings
About Michael Ade-George
If you need to find Michael Ade-George, go to the Google headquarters next to the HB or you can come to Langnau am Albis and go to the white apartment on Langmoosestrasse and ring on Ade-George. He will answer dressed casually and probably welcome you with a smile. He will invite you in for a chat. Most people would not believe that he grew up with 14 siblings in Nigeria. This has helped him become the man he is today. Manners, respect and more, and that is a man I admire and would like to be like someday.
Was it hard growing up with 14 siblings?
“No, it wasn’t because it was easy to hide in the shadows and you could blame it on somebody else if you got into trouble. But we did not do that. We were a team and it meant that you always had someone to play with and do a football team with and it was fun.”
What was the structure of your family? “So…fathers first marriage, unfortunately, died, but gave him 4 kids 2 girls and 2 of Boys, they were the oldest ones and Then from my mum’s side, he had 6 kids 4 boys and 2 girls and his 3 wives had…4 more kids 2 boys and 2 girls…but The structure was simple we lived like Nigerians and it was all about manners And respect.”
Were you all treated equally? “Yes we were all treated equally And my dad made sure of that. We all went to school we had the Meals and we had the same Chances of getting an education. My dad is very keen on education. Because once you have it nobody can take it away”.
Where were you out of the 14?
“I am the 6 oldest so I have got 3 older sisters and 5 older brothers…”
“Having 14 siblings was great because you could hide in the shadows and blame it on somebody else.”
- Michael Ade-George
What was the hardest challenge for you?
“I didn’t see things as challenges. I saw them as something that I could overcome and I never had that instinct to moan and groan whenever there was something to do like get water or cook food”.
What lessons did you learn?
“I am not one for giving advice, but I think that we are all individuals and unique in our own way like we had challenges like every family does, but we worked to overcome them, but talking about advice when growing up with you learn different coping mechanisms and getting what you want, but you also Understand to share and communicate, But today nobody does that, they just look at their phones…but we all started to eat at the Table witch was like king authors round Table. So some advice from me is to share and be open to new ideas”.
“Respect people and love your siblings even though it can be hard there is always a solution to every problem, So, in short, you could say, A sibling is a telescope through which you can see your childhood.”
