I was 28, jobless for almost a year after being retrenched during COVID, deep in debt, and honestly thinking of giving up. My aunt (my mom’s younger sister) noticed I had stopped replying to family chats and showing up for gatherings. One day she just showed up at my door with two packets of chicken rice and said, “I’m not leaving until you eat and talk.” That evening she listened to everything — the shame, the loans, the feeling like a failure. Instead of judging, she said, “You’re not broken, you’re just paused. Let me help restart you.” She connected me to her ex-colleague who was hiring for admin roles, helped me redo my resume, practiced interviews with me every night for two weeks, and even lent me money for a proper shirt and shoes (no interest, just “pay me back when you can”). I got the job, paid her back in 4 months, and now I’m a team lead. That one decision to not let me disappear changed everything. Thank you, Aunty Meera — you saw potential when I saw nothing.
Stake: Wishiwonu