Popular Nigerian comedienne, Helen Paul, shared how she overcame the stigma she suffered while growing up because she was born out of rape, News About Nigeria reports.
Speaking at the Daystar conference, the stand-up comedienne, also known as Tatafo, revealed that her family members were not exempt from the stigma she experienced. They mocked her due to the circumstances surrounding her birth.
She further disclosed that some of her family members, including her aunties, would caution her grandmother, with whom she grew up, to spend her allowance on her.
In her own words, “I was born out of rape, and I grew up with my grandmother, where everyone in the area called me a bastard. So I grew up hearing that I’m a bastard. When my aunties came to give grandma money for feeding, they would say, ‘Don’t use this money to take care of one bastard child; use it to take care of yourself and buy your medicine.’”
Speaking further, Helen Paul noted that the rejection she experienced as a child pushed her to strive for success.
According to her, rejection worked differently for her because she was able to discover herself and fought to be better amidst the rejection she faced.
The Nigerian comedian, also a professor in the United States, also urged her audience to be mindful of the words they speak to people, noting that hurtful words can make a person feel rejected and unloved for the rest of their lives.
She also encouraged them not to give up, regardless of what they were going through. Instead, their challenges should serve as motivation to become better and achieve greatness.
