BBAfrican 2011 winner, Karen Igho set up $50,000 GoFundMe amid child custody battle, homelessness

• Karen Igho, winner of Big Brother Africa 2011, has launched a $50,000 GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for housing and legal fees while fighting for custody of her children.

• Karen Igho, homeless and in need of help, shared a video on social media expressing her desire to regain custody of her children from her estranged husband, Yaroslav Rakos.

Karen Igho, the winner of Big Brother Africa 2011, has initiated a GoFundMe campaign with a goal of $50,000 to secure funds for housing and legal expenses as she seeks custody of her children.

In a video posted on her social media accounts on Wednesday, Igho disclosed her current state of homelessness and her urgent need for assistance. She articulated her intention to regain custody of her children from her estranged spouse, Yaroslav Rakos.

The description of the GoFundMe campaign includes the following appeal:

“Dear Friends and Community,

“We are reaching out to ask for your support for our dear Karen Igho, who is going through a tough time. Recently, she faced unexpected challenges that have made it difficult to pay bills and secure stable housing.”

This appeal follows Karen’s announcement on Tuesday regarding her ongoing divorce, during which she accused her husband of both physical and sexual abuse. She claimed that Rakos is attempting to gain sole custody of their children by falsely asserting that she is mentally unstable. Karen has urged the public to hold Rakos accountable should anything happen to her.

Karen Igho stated: “I have been homeless for a year, and I have been hurt sexually and physically. If anything happens to me, hold the man who brought me to a country where I know no one. He is trying to take my children away by saying I’m mentally sick.”

In another heartfelt message, she expressed: “God bless Nigeria and Africa. I have been through so much this past year. Please pray for my children and me. In case you don’t hear from me again, know that I have been killed. I am not mentally sick, and I don’t do drugs.”

Her disclosures have sparked concern among her followers, many of whom have expressed their support online. As of now, Rakos has not responded to the allegations.

After a nine-year relationship, Karen Igho and Yaroslav Rakos were married in 2014 in Jos, Plateau State, and they have two children together.