• GAMAID
• July 16, 2025

I’m Glory Ime Essien, a young adult living in Uyo, and before GAMAID Foundation reached out, I was caught in a web of financial hardship, hunger, unstable housing, and the looming threat of educational setbacks. During my first year at university—amid a nationwide strike that kept me off campus—I could not afford hostel fees when the portal closed, and I slept in overcrowded common rooms or on the church floor, unsure if I’d ever have a proper bed. Meals were scarce, and my coursework suffered as my body and mind grew weary.

Everything began to shift in 2022 when I first heard about GAMAID through my church. They offered me a room in their student housing program, giving me a secure place to live throughout the strike and beyond. At the same time, they provided regular feeding support—weekly stipends earmarked for groceries and hot meals—which meant I no longer worried where my next plate of food would come from. In moments when I still struggled, GAMAID’s Mercy team stepped in with generous loans, and I often found myself eating on credit at their community restaurant, only to have my balance graciously wiped clean without question. When I finally needed decent clothes to present myself with confidence, they surprised me with beautiful dresses, jeans, shirts, and tops—a wardrobe worth far more than I could have afforded on my own.

Over the three years from 2022 to 2025, this holistic assistance—valued at well over ₦100,000—became the bedrock of my stability. Having a safe place to stay freed me to focus on my studies without the constant fear of eviction, and steady meals restored my health and energy. The financial support and forgiving loans taught me to manage resources responsibly and to lean into community rather than isolation. Beyond my own life, this help radiated outward: my younger siblings saw me thrive instead of struggle, and our family’s hope was rekindled.

GAMAID Foundation has been the greatest blessing of my university journey. Their kindness has carried me from the depths of uncertainty to the brink of graduation with my head held high. I will forever be grateful to the team, the sponsors, and the volunteers who believed in me when I had no reason to believe in myself. May God replenish them a hundredfold, just as they replenished my soul, my wardrobe, and my dreams.