My entire family of six resided in one room: the untold tale of fashion legend Belinda Baidoo

What many know of Belinda Baidoo is a top model who has collaborated with top international brands such as Nike, Victoria Secret, Giorgio Armani, Guinness, as well as being the face of GTP Ghana.

However, her journey to stardom dates as far back as 1998, when she was just a shy, average 17-year-old girl who was insecure about her height and tribal marks.

Opening up on her childhood for the first time in an interview on Adom TV‘s The Journey, Belinda said she comes from a family below the middle income belt, being taken care of by a single mother who was a petty trader.

“My mother was our backbone, she was a petty trader. Any goods she laid hands on, she sold. She hawked charcoal, koobi, beef, whatever was in season,” she said.

Accommodation was a tough challenge growing up, which saw them constantly being moved from one place to another and perching with whosoever who cares to open their doors to them.

Luck shone on the Biadoo family when they finally had a single one bedroom home housing six of them, including their mother.

For a classy model who speaks fluent English with an accent, Belinda has a poor educational background, as she spent barely five years in school all her life. At that time, she used to be an athlete.

Her interest in sports earned her a scholarship to study secretariat, but she spent only two years in school.

She forfeited her education to join her mother in the hawking business to care for the younger siblings.

According to Belinda, her upbringing was normal, but her situation changed for the better when she picked up the modelling career, but sadly, her mother did not live long enough to taste the fruit of her labour.

At just 17-years-old, she won the Top Model Afrique pageant show which opened doors for her in Abidjan, and subsequently New York, Italy and other foreign countries.

Currently, she is one of the big names in modelling and owns her own modelling company where she mentors young ladies to dominate the runway.

For a private life, she is a mother of 12-year-old twins and has parted ways with her children’s father.

She has no hopes for marriage, but she is open for a long-term partner to enjoy life devoid of control.