Two homeless Nigerians, Simi and Peter, have opened up on how their hopes were dashed by unforeseen circumstances after they migrated to Canada.
Their struggles came to light amid a surge in the desire to travel out of Nigeria, in what is now known as Japa, a Yoruba word for flee.
In a viral video on social media, Simi could be seen narrating the story of how she was excited about arriving in Canada to further her studies
“When I came to Canada, I was going to school in Hamilton, so it was pretty good. I was in boarding school, so it was pretty good,” she said.
However, things became bad for her after an investment she engaged in failed, forcing her to become homeless as she could no longer afford the high cost of living in the country.
“It’s a long story, but it’s mostly because I invested in a business idea that failed. I was running colleges down the street, and I had a fashion business,” she explained.
“There is an issue with housing. It’s not so much detox, it’s not so much hospitals, it’s not so much the mental health, like the therapy. It’s more so housing that there’s issues with,” she said.
She also revealed her challenges with anxiety which affected her 9-to-5 job.
“I struggle with anxiety. And so working on a 9-to-5 is quite difficult. I’m trying to figure out what to do and how to balance myself,” she added.
When asked if she is currently homeless, Simi said, “I’m working on it.”
On his predicament, 25-year-old Peter said things became awful for him in Canada after his father suffered a stroke.
He said his father sponsored him to the country where he went for studies but the sickness crippled his ability to finance his education.
“I came in as a student. I was doing good, but all of a sudden my dad, who was my sponsor, fell sick. He got a stroke. So they were unable to support me again,” Peter explained.
He concluded by stating that his immediate need is shelter because he’s now homeless.
Source: www.mynigeria.com
