It is now a common trend to find some people in the comment section of Instagram accounts belonging to celebrities or popular blogs on social media soliciting for funds.
Mother of two and Nollywood actress, Stella Damasus has had a fair share of this experience judging by one of her latest posts on Instagram in which she advices such online “solicitors” to learn how to fish, rather than continue to beg for fish.
In her post, Stella offered a motherly advice to her young fans who in time past have benefitted from her benevolence, not to make a habit of begging for money on the gram but should channel their little resources into learning skills that can empower them financially.
“Like many others, I receive direct messages from young people asking me to help them out with their problems. They need money to pay for one thing or the other. 90% of the time it’s nothing medical or life threatening, just money to pay rent or one course in school.
I take time to read through their stories and help as many as I can but trust and believe that my contribution may not solve the problem totally. I try to follow up with these people and I find that they always end up in the same place (broke). So I started asking them to learn a trade, use their talent, get mentors, learn from YouTube. If these people have enough data to come and ask for money on social media then they would definitely have enough to learn something from YouTube or other free webinars.
The moment I start to ask them to learn something I become an enemy. Then I get messages like “if you don’t want to help me just say it. We, your fans have made you into a star but you can’t help us with your money”. It used to upset me but then I had to understand that the heart of a hungry person can lead to verbal diarrhea.
My only problems is that they are hungry for the WRONG THING. You want the money but you don’t want the knowledge of the source where you can keep making that money. I don’t get it. You want to keep asking for fish but you don’t want to learn to catch your own fish. Who knows if you will even start catching more fish than the person you are begging from.
I am saying this again ” begging for small money here and there will guarantee a constant state of poverty, but acquiring the knowledge and skills and using it to earn a living guarantees constant money in your pocket”. Become your own boss and stop living this HAND ME DOWN life.”
