GAMAID
- July 25, 2025
My name is Annette Offiong, and in both 2023 and 2024, I found myself facing a problem I never quite saw coming, all in the middle of what should have been a fairly simple thing, completing my clearance at the University of Uyo. Lectures had ended, the hostels were closed, and my family lives in another city. So when my rent ran out, I suddenly had nowhere to stay. Every time I made the trip back to campus for clearance, my mind was not just on the paperwork I had to sort out, but on the bigger worry of where I would even sleep that night.
It was through my church family that I first heard about GAMAID Foundation, and the way they responded honestly turned the whole situation around for me. On two separate occasions, once in 2023 and again in 2024, they took me into one of their houses nearby, and that alone saved me from the panic of trying to find last minute lodging. Across those two visits, I stayed with them for a total of five months, and during that time they did not only give me a safe place to rest. They fed me throughout my stay. When my first attempt at clearance did not go through and I had to come back months later, they welcomed me again with the same grace, and looked after me until I was finally able to round everything off.
Living in that house with fellow believers gave me far more than just a roof and meals. The brethren I shared the place with became mentors and friends, and what I would honestly call accountability partners. They corrected me when I started drifting off track, spoke kindly but firmly when stress was getting the better of me, and celebrated with me when good news came. I came in feeling lonely and a little lost, and I left feeling like I had been wrapped up by family. There was even a health issue I had been struggling with for years, and through their prayers and care, I finally found healing in both body and spirit.
Maybe the biggest relief, though, was for my parents. They had been watching from afar, anxious about clearance deadlines, transport money, food and lodging, all of it. Knowing that I was safely housed and properly fed during those critical weeks lifted months of worry off their shoulders. I was able to give my full attention to my clearance, without the extra weight of unpaid rent or empty stomachs, and I came home with my paperwork sorted and my heart light.
To GAMAID Foundation and to everyone who opened their doors to me, thank you. The way you sheltered and looked after me through two uncertain seasons has left a mark on me that I do not think will ever fade. Please do not stop being a blessing to students like me. You really are changing destinies, one quiet act of kindness at a time