Abandoned By Mum At Seven Months - Awele’s Survival Story Inspires Hope

Anytime I hear them say Tacha has no mother. I ask myself if that’s enough excuse to become unruly and mannerless? Don’t get it twisted I’m not being judgmental. 

I just want to share a bit of my childhood story with you.

My Childhood:

I was abandoned by my mother at the age of seven months (7 months) with my father and stepmother. My stepmother was mean and not so nice to me, but I still called her “Mother” till tomorrow, cos she’s the only mother I knew, although she’s late (may God rest her soul).

I endured all manner of maltreatment she meted at me. Sometimes I went hungry for days. She would so starve me that I would be seeing death.

Abandoned By Mum At Seven Months - Awele’s Survival Story Inspires Hope

On one occasion, I was very hungry that I had to eat our dog’s leftover food. Our neighbour’s son caught me eating the dog’s leftover food (Eba and Egusi) and he told his mother who later that evening invited me to her house and asked me if what her son said was true. I was so terrified that I begged her not to tell my stepmother, because she will kill me if she knew that I ate the dog’s leftover instead of throwing it away.

The woman wept and promised to give me food every day without my stepmother’s knowledge, a promise she kept till we left the compound.

As if starving me was not enough punishment, my Stepmother flogged me mercilessly until I would faint at times. She would also apply pepper in my vagina, eyes, armpit and neck, tie me up and abandon me in one of the toilets for days without food. In fact, no week passed without pepper being applied on me for minor offences a child could commit like a failure not to wash clothes or dishes well, It wasn’t as if I stole or told a lie or fornicated.

During these dark days of my life, I often prayed for death, but it never came. Despite all these experiences, I was very bright academically and was loved and favoured by God and people. I knew that the only way to escape was to achieve educational success, so I never joked with schooling.

So you see, I have every right to be hateful, bitter, jealous, arrogant, sad, negative and toxic but I chose not to. Rather I embraced positivity, kindness, peace and love. My life is beautiful. I am a happy person. I’m at peace with God.

I am hardworking, beautiful and smart despite all I’ve been through and I have only Almighty God to thank for it. If I was able to subdue my demons then I believe everyone has the power to conquer his/her demons also.

MY LIFE IS WHAT I MAKE OF IT! - Awele Chukwukaumemma

About Awele 

Awele Ideal is the Lead Counsel and Principal in Chambers of Ideal Chambers, a thriving legal practice in Asaba, Delta State. She obtained an LLB degree in Law from the Delta State University, BL from the Nigerian Law School and LLM from the University of Benin. She has several years of experience as a private legal practitioner including stints of tutelage at the Delta State Ministry of Justice as Counsel in the Civil Litigation Department, Chike Onyemenam & Associates and George-Ann Chambers where she honed her litigation skills before setting up her practice.

Her area of practice includes; Land Law and Property Management, Commercial Law and Intellectual Property as well as Criminal Litigation. She has remained a first choice for handling many International Federation of Women Lawyers, FIDA’s pro bono cases involving indigent persons, especially oppressed women.

She is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), African Bar Association (AFBAR), Nigerian Institute of Chartered Arbitrators(NICArb), Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators(ICMC), FIDA Nigeria.

Awele is a registered Golfer. She loves travelling and has been to several International conferences. She has three lovely girls and her best moments were times spent with the girls.

We love Awele’s motto: “…If you can’t Be a King, Be a Lawyer!”

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