GAMAID
- July 15, 2025
My name is Mercy John, I am 22 years old, and I am from Uyo. When I got into the university, I had no close relatives anywhere nearby and my family home several hours away in Lagos, I spent way too many nights scrambling for a safe place to stay and wondering where my next meal was going to come from. Whenever holiday breaks came around, I had to choose between the high cost of travelling all the way to Lagos or staying back in Uyo, where shelter and food were never even guaranteed. By late 2021, the weight of unstable accommodation and irregular meals had become so heavy that every exam period and project deadline genuinely felt like a mountain I could not climb.
Then in early 2022, everything changed when GAMAID Foundation offered me a place in their Bethlehem Kitchen outreach home. For the first time in a long while, I had a clean and peaceful room I could call my own, and every single day, I joined a communal table where meals were served with so much kindness. But the Kitchen became way more than just a place to eat. It became my classroom too. I learnt how to plan menus, chop vegetables and cook simple dishes. I came to truly appreciate the dignity of honest work, and somewhere in the middle of all that, I discovered a fresh kind of confidence in myself.
At the same time, the job support programme of GAMAID Foundation paired me with mentors who taught me vital vocational skills, from basic bookkeeping all the way to customer service. Over the past three years, through holiday breaks, exam seasons and even unexpected setbacks, I have received reliable housing, seasonal meals and hands on training valued at roughly ₦1 million. Because of their support, I secured full time employment, became self sufficient and grew deeper in my walk with God, surrounded by fellow believers who keep cheering me on. I genuinely cannot put into words how grateful I am to the volunteers and sponsors of GAMAID Foundation. Their generosity changed my life, gave me a real sense of belonging, and continues to inspire me every single day.