In an age where online negativity often drowns out kindness, one Zambia lawyer is choosing to rise above the noise. Naomie Pilula, based in Lusaka, Southern Africa, has become a quiet yet powerful voice for self-love, showing her followers how to embrace their authentic selves even when trolls try to break them down.
Selfie that sparked a storm
It all began in June when Naomie posted a cheerful Monday selfie, celebrating her natural hair and radiant skin. Alongside her picture, she wrote, "Happy Monday! The hair is hairing and the skin is skinning so I’m so happy!!!!! This is a Bantu knotout on freshly washed hair. So even though my hair is in dire need of a retire, it still looks cute 🥰. Here’s to feeling and looking cute."
Check out the post below:
But instead of the positivity she radiated, a section of negative comments filled her post. Trolls mocked her looks, with some writing, “Lol she has a face only a mother can love.” Another sneered, “Don’t post a picture like that if you don’t want nobody to judge.”
When a second video she shared also attracted hateful remarks, she deleted it. But instead of retreating, Naomie chose to confront the experience head-on.
Turning hurt into strength
Later, in a heartfelt video message, Naomie admitted that the comments initially left her shocked and even angry. “I started deleting the comments at first but then got tired of it,” she revealed. A heart-to-heart with her sister shifted her perspective.
“She was just like, ‘You can’t control what people say. But what it triggers in you, and your response to it, is just a mirror showing you what’s inside yourself,’” Naomie recalled.
That reflection helped her embrace her journey of self-acceptance. “I was very insecure about my appearance for a very long time. Thank the Lord, I started liking myself,” she said, adding that faith played a huge role in how she sees herself today.
Drawing strength from scripture, Naomie reminded herself that her features were divinely designed. “He’s the one who knit us together, which tells me that every intricate detail—even my features—was something God put thought and care into. And it’s not just me; every single person on this earth was created with that same intention,” she explained.
To her, insults directed at her appearance weren’t just personal. “People who make fun of me have an issue with God who created me,” she said with conviction.
'It's my father's nose'
Naomie also addressed the most talked-about feature, her nose. Speaking to People magazine, she reflected, “I do know that one of the most controversial features that I have, which is what blew up the internet, was my nose. It's my father's nose. Why would I want to remove a feature that identifies me with my father? It doesn't make sense.”
Her journey wasn’t about a single defining moment but a gradual process of acceptance. “I won’t say that there was that one day where I woke up and I looked in the mirror and said, ‘Yes,’ but there was just one point where you looked at yourself and said, ‘I like the way I look.’ And that was me. And once I arrived at that point, no one can take that away because they didn’t give it to me.”
