Warning to dv winners
WARNING MESSAGE TO ALL DV WINNERS
Congratulations to everybody. If you have gotten your visa or you are still awaiting interview. God will make a way for everyone of us.
Ok, here is my warning to everybody. One important thing you must be aware of before you leave 9ja is ACCOMMODATION.
Yes! ACCOMMODATION.
If you are gonna be staying with your close relatives here, maybe parents, siblings, then you are lucky. But distant relatives, friends, or strangers, you have to be VERY VERY CAREFUL because sometimes grass is not always greener at the other side of the fence.
Ask your sponsor some important questions concerning accommodation before you leave i.e
(1) How long are they going to accommodate you.
(2) Are you going to be PAYING RENT immediately you get here or how long after you started working.
(3) How much you should bring with you.
These questions are really important, some people here, if you are not their family, your stay with them might be a shocker to you and your family you are bringing with you. Most of Nigerians here DO NOT want to help. Sometimes they pretend as if they are helping but in actual fact, they are helping themselves. Wherever you first live in US will determine how fast or slow you would be able to be on your feet.
Use my own story as an example.
I got my first letter in May 2008, my friend told me he had somebody he TRUSTED that I can stay with even though I had many options. Luckily I went for interview, I got the visa. I arrived in US on 19th November 2009. I got my SSN and Green Card within a month. I started working on the 15th December 2009. Before I got my first paycheck, my sponsor told me now that I've got a job, I have to be paying $450 for RENT and about $100 for UTILITIES. It came as a shock to me, as the matter of fact I was not told all of these before I left 9ja. Paying rent is not the issue, but Im paying more than 80% of what Im earning on RENT ALONE. I still got other bills to take care of like phone, food, transportation etc. I told them that this is what Im earning (showed them the paycheck), with all these, I barely have enough left for food. Imagine you go to work everyday and you cannot even feed yourself. They refused totally, I was told if I cannot pay, I should move out.
MOVE TO WHERE?
So, I have no option than to PAY and PRAY to God for another job.
And this is all happening within my 2nd month in America (November 2009 - January 2010). Anyway, you can imagine the rest...
Let this be a warning to anybody who is going to be staying with strangers when they get here especially when you are coming with your family.
America is beautiful place to be, its a land of opportunities, God will surely in His infinite mercy bring everybody here safely.
If you have any question, this is my email address "9jaemperor@gmail.com"