Nigerian TikToker and content creator Elizabeth Amadou, popularly known as Jarvis, has opened up about the difficult experiences that shaped her childhood, revealing how she grew up without her father, battled the challenges of living with a mother who had bipolar disorder, and endured periods of hunger and financial hardship.

Jarvis shared the emotional account during a Sunday service in the United Kingdom, where she appeared alongside her husband, fellow TikTok personality Peller, while speaking with Spark Nation founder, Pastor Tobi.

Jarvis speaks on growing up without her fatherReflecting on her childhood, Jarvis said growing up without her father was particularly difficult, especially as her mother’s mental health condition sometimes affected the family.

She described her mother’s bipolar disorder as a major challenge during her formative years, saying her mother’s behaviour could change dramatically, making life at home stressful and unpredictable.

“Growing up with her has been very stressful and depressing because sometimes the disorder is crazy,” Jarvis said.

According to the content creator, her mother had travelled out of the country before returning pregnant with her, meaning she did not have the opportunity to grow up with her biological father.

Jarvis said her grandparents therefore played a significant role in raising her and her sister.

She credited their strict upbringing and guidance with helping to shape the person she eventually became.

TikToker recalls hunger and inability to pay school feesBeyond the difficulties at home, Jarvis said her family also experienced serious financial challenges while she was growing up.

She recalled periods when there was no money to pay her school fees, adding that she was determined not to drop out of school or resort to criminal or harmful means of making money.

Jarvis said the financial hardship became so severe that she and her sister sometimes went to bed hungry.

She recalled watching food and cooking videos on TikTok despite being unable to afford the meals featured in them.

“I and my sister used to watch cooking food videos on TikTok just to salivate and at the end of the day we pray that God help us, cry and sleep because there is hunger,” she said.

How TikTok helped Jarvis and her sister make moneyJarvis said her journey into TikTok livestreaming began when someone contacted her through the platform and told her that she could make money by going live.

Although she was initially shy and worried about her family discovering her activities on social media, she eventually started livestreaming alongside her sister.

According to Jarvis, their first earnings were only about $5, but the money meant a lot to them at the time because of the financial difficulties they were facing.

She said the experience eventually evolved from livestreaming into full-time content creation as they began attracting an audience on the platform.

Jarvis: ‘I wanted to take care of my sister’The TikToker said her determination to succeed online was driven largely by her desire to support her sister and achieve financial independence.

“I wanted to take care of my sister. I want to be able to provide a living for ourselves,” Jarvis said.

What started as an attempt to find a way out of poverty and provide basic needs eventually became a successful career in TikTok livestreaming and content creation.

Jarvis’ story highlights the difficult circumstances she says she faced before gaining prominence online, as well as the role social media played in transforming her financial circumstances and career.