After one conversation over the phone Evans knew that Ophelia was his wife, even without seeing her in person.
Ophelia didn’t know that she was talking to her future Prince Charming when she asked her cousin Gavaza to speak to the person she was talking to on the phone.
“We “met” over December holidays when Evans called Gavaza to check on her after she fell ill. “Out of no where I asked my cousin if I could speak to the person she was talking to and she gladly handed me the phone.
“To my surprise the conversation flowed.
Two minutes after we said our goodbyes, he called asking to speak to me again. That’s how our love story began,” she explained.
Evans said he was attracted to her inner beauty the first time they spoke. She was humble, polite and respectful and it captured his heart.
Also read: Ophelia has her eyes on Mrs SA
“I had been praying for a wife for a while and I was immediately convinced she was the woman I prayed for,” he said.
Ophelia knew that he was her forever man when he sold his only car to pay her final year varsity fees so that she can graduate.
Evans is a Ghanaian migrant who came to the country to explore his entrepreneurial opportunities and Ophelia was born and bred in Nkowankowa, Tzaneen.
He now is CEO of WAO Host, an IT company that employs ten people and Ophelia is a financial review manager at one of the biggest banks in the country.
The pair has two children, Edem (9), and Michelle (6) and currently lives in Randburg.
Despite their beautiful love story, the couple has had to deal to prejudices being labeled as foreigners and as “people who are in the country to sell drugs, steal jobs and spouses”.
Also read: Bethuel crowned best cartoonist in the world
They say that migrants are stereotyped and many of the myths about migrants are not true.
Although South African, Ophelia experienced these prejudices when she was involved in two car accidents.
She felt ill-treated by police officers after they realised that she was married to a foreigner.
“I want people to understand that not all foreigners are illegal and up to no good. It is a pity to even see educated people being xenophobic.
“We must learn from countries such as Australia and Canada where they recruit migrants to work in their countries, because they see the value of foreigners.
“The father of one of the most successful men in the world, Steve Jobs, an American, was Syrian.
There are many other migrants who have become leaders in the world economies.
“South Africa should accept and invest in migrants as many have great skills that contribute to the economy,” Evans added.
They raise their children to be blind to race and nationality and to respect all of people.
In 2019 Ophelia was a semi-finalist in the Mrs South Africa pageant.
The pageant journey motivated her to fiercely pursue her dreams unapologetically.
They also have a Facebook page called The Akorli’s and a YouTube channel, Akorli, where they talk about marriage and relationships.
Their aim is to make marriage fashionable and to assist couples in their love journey.
