Minaj to donate $25,000 to St Jude's Home for Girls

The St Jude's Home for Girls was the scene of uncontrollable excitement as staff and students played host to rapper Nicki Minaj and her entourage, who visited the home on Thursday. Minaj, whose real name is Onika Maraj-Petty, visited the Belmont home along with Police Commissioner Gary Griffith and members of the police Gender Based Violence Unit (GBVU) to meet and interact with the girls.

The Chun Li hitmaker was born in St James.

She said she was happy to be able to visit the home and encouraged the girls to use their talents to work hard and achieve their dreams.

Speaking before a packed auditorium, the rapper recalled her own turbulent teenage years and offered advice on a variety of topics from mental health to the importance of believing in oneself.

"Sometimes as a teenager you feel as if there is no way up from there. I always wanted an adult or a big sister to tell me certain things. As a teenager I was too embarrassed to tell my mother.

"It's very important that as young women we don't point fingers at each other. When you can acknowledge that you made a mistake and you know it was wrong, you learn from it and keep it moving. We're not living in the past and anyone living in the past is just jealous of your future.

"I don't want to preach to you and sound corny, but we have to love ourselves first. Before you can be in love with a boy, you have to love yourself first. The more you love yourself is the less likely they can manipulate you."

Minaj's entourage included a team of videographers and technicians who recorded her discussion with the girls to use in a documentary on her visit to TT.

Her announcement that she would donate $25,000 to the home was met with uproarious applause from both staff and students alike.

During her visit Minaj treated the girls to a brief performance of her hit Megatron and also called on three girls to showcase their own abilities in singing and spoken-word poetry.

As she and her team left they were met with cheers from students of nearby schools including St Francis Boys' and St Francois Girls' Colleges who heard of her visit, prompting her to leave her Range Rover and take photos with the children.