The Day I Asked for Help — And Everything Changed.

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Most times, I find it really hard to ask people for help. It’s not because I think I can do everything on my own, but I always have this fear at the back of my mind that the person might say no or feel like I’m disturbing them. And to be honest, I don’t handle rejection very well. If someone tells me “no,” I may act like I’m fine, but deep down, it affects me. So, instead of facing that discomfort, I just keep my problems to myself and try to find a way around them.

There was a time last year that truly tested me. Things were so rough, and I was barely getting by. My mum was doing her best to support me, and I’ll forever be grateful to her. But even with the little she could send, it was barely enough to take care of me for a full week. I was constantly managing, stretching what little I had. But it wasn’t working. There were days I went hungry, and not because I was fasting — just because there was nothing to eat.

What made it worse was that I couldn’t bring myself to talk to anyone about it. I kept asking myself, “Who even cares?” So I suffered in silence for a long time.

Then, one day, I just got tired. I was mentally and emotionally exhausted. I sat alone and started thinking of what to do, and one person came to my mind — my street brother. We’ve done a lot together over the years, and he had helped me a few times in the past. But still, I battled with myself before reaching out. I had to summon a lot of courage to message him on WhatsApp.

I finally told him what was going on. Surprisingly, he told me he also didn’t have much on him at the time. But then he said something that shifted everything for me — he told me to join Hive. Specifically, he recommended the Vibes community. At first, I wasn’t having it. I mean, I’m camera shy, and the thought of singing in front of a camera and posting it online was way out of my comfort zone.

But things were bad, and I had no choice but to try something new. I remember my first post — I earned about 12 dollars from it, and I was over the moon. That moment gave me hope. From there, I became more consistent, even when I wasn’t earning much. Just being able to do something, to earn something, changed everything.

Looking back now, I realize that asking for help that day wasn’t a sign of weakness — it was the beginning of a new chapter. If I hadn’t spoken up, I probably wouldn’t have discovered Hive or spent over a year building something for myself. That single act of reaching out actually changed my life.