Charlotte Osho, member of NHS RF Newham branch, writes her memoirs – The Jagged Path
A GUEST speaker at her local branch meeting inspired one Fellowship member to write her memoirs which are now about to be published.
The Jagged Path tells the story of Newham member Charlotte Osho’s journey from an idyllic childhood in rural 1940s Nigeria, through the heartbreak of losing her parents, tumultuous years with uncaring guardians, an abusive marriage which ended in betrayal, to finally finding hope and happiness.
Charlotte, 80, explains: “I was at an NHS Retirement Fellowship meeting in 2016 where a speaker was sharing her experience of writing her life story, explaining how great it was to preserve her personal history for loved ones. It resonated with me and I wanted to provide a legacy for my family but also to share my story to inspire others.
“I sat down and began to write. It was a slow process because I only wrote when it felt right and I told myself I was going to take my time with it. But I was encouraged by the hope that readers would draw encouragement from my experiences. I hope the book empowers those who may feel lost or can’t see a way out of a difficult situation and that, through my story, they are able to triumph over adversities they may be facing.”
In her powerful tale of resilience, fortitude and faith, Charlotte describes arriving in mid-sixties London, where she trained as an NHS nurse, faced with an onslaught of new experiences, unfamiliar foods, a very different climate and unfortunately, the shock of racism. But though she quickly adjusted to her new home, dreams of a happy marriage and security were soon shattered by a husband who became emotionally, financially and physically abusive. Left to raise their three children alone, Charlotte was uncertain how she would overcome these challenging circumstances. But through a chance conversation with a colleague, she reconnected with the church, finally finding the fellowship and sense of community she had been looking for. And through her new-found faith she gained the resilience to keep fighting, truly building a life on her own terms and the confidence to develop her nursing career to support her young family.
Charlotte has been a member of the NHS Retirement Fellowship for 18 years and is now vice chair of the branch. She said her friends in the Newham branch are very excited for her (she is their guest speaker at the branch’s March meeting!) and added: “the reaction so far has been brilliant and people are happy for me and I have to keep pinching myself that this has happened.”
She added: “I hope Jagged Path inspires others to write their stories too. We all
have a unique history. Not only does mine cover a firsthand account of the West African migrant experience, it also gives a window into reconnecting with faith, working in the NHS as a global majority nurse, as well as the devastation caused by an abusive partner.”
Charlotte dedicated more than forty years to the NHS working mainly as a theatre nurse. She lives in East London and has three children including actor and author Andi Osho (Blue Lights, Line of Duty, writer of Tough Crowd and Asking For A Friend).
The Jagged Path is published on February 28 and listen out for Charlotte appearing on Women’s Hour soon. The book is published by Troubador and copies can be purchased here and costs £12.99 https://www.troubador.co.uk/bookshop/autobiography/the-jagged-path
Charlotte and Andi are very happy to travel to branches in the London, South East and East Anglia areas as a guest speaker. Branches can contact Charlotte via the Fellowship’s head of communications at comms@nhsrf.org.uk