I could not even afford a matchbox. I took this free writing course…

One reason that makes me encourage people is that I’ve gone through so much in life. The fact is that there are so many people going through tough situations and are at the point of giving up. I was there! I almost gave up when life became too hard and unyielding.

During this time, I couldn’t afford a matchbox.

A matchbox was going for only Sh.3 ($0.03).

People quickly and easily give up whenever they go through hard times. Why? They think they’re the only ones going through such times. The devil makes the situation even more complicated by giving them endless ‘sermons’.

Don’t listen to him because he is a liar, a thief, and a murderer. Do you remember Jesus saying so to his disciples? If I couldn’t afford a matchbox, do you think I could afford food?

Borrowing Food

Just before I started online writing, I was in a state of depression. Here’s why.

I had tried my best to make money, but everything I tried failed. Affording food was a nightmare. 

I remember one time visitors came to my house and I had nothing to give them. I went to the shopkeeper to borrow something I could serve my visitors. I promised to pay later, but my cry fell on deaf ears.

I had an appointment to wash clothes for a certain lady, and so I knew I would pay the debt before the day ended. I struggled to balance tears as I pleaded with the man for help. My voice sunk as I kept repeating the word “please”. I wanted to kneel down before him because I was desperate, but I refrained when a customer entered the shop.

You may not understand this, but the day you get visitors who have traveled for more than 5 hours, you’ll know why I needed the shopkeeper’s help. It took me almost 30 minutes before he could accept to help me. I served my visitors wearing a fake smile. But my problems were not over yet!

I Had No Matchbox

The good thing is that they had brought me foodstuff that could last for a month. Such kind souls; may God bless them!
But there was a problem; I didn’t have a matchbox to light my cooker. 

Well, I’m not one of those folks who dare to speak out their struggles to people. I can sleep without food and never tell my neighbors.  So here I was, with foodstuff and no matchbox, what do you?

I decided to borrow a matchbox from the same shopkeeper. On my way, I remembered how I begged him to help me when I had some guests. 

I just stopped instantly and turned back. That’s when I realized that sometimes what you think is cheap is expensive for some. I had to look for a washing job to get money for the matchbox as well as an online article writing course.

But I had to something before I could enroll for the training. I needed to do something to get me out of the pitiful position. 

Starting With Walter Akolo’s Free Writing Training

Like I’ve mentioned previously, I was struggling to pay for Walter Akolo’s training. In the same way I couldn’t afford rent. Besides, I had to walk to church for more than 2 hours.

My love for God is unstoppable. I’ll serve him forever. He has helped me, and I cannot deny that.

So, in 2017, I subscribed to Walter’s free writing training. This is a free mini-course where you get free email-based tips.

I can tell you for sure, the emails I received daily helped me a lot. I knew there was something far much better in the paid training. So, I continued to do menial jobs to get more cash. I thank God; He made a way for me!  

I was able to pay for the complete freelance writing course

This was a dream come true! I was so excited to join the training. Seeing what I had gone through, I didn’t want to take long in training.

One good thing about Walter’s training is that if you wish to access it at midnight, during the day, or whatever time you have, it’s accessible!  I took me two weeks to go through the entire course.

You see, most people don’t believe in online training, but I’m a witness; it works. Yes, it works wonders if you have a good trainer. Walter is one such! On the other hand, you must be responsible and hard working.

There is still hope

As I have mentioned above, I couldn’t afford a matchbox, rent, bundles, and food. My rent was only KSh. 1,800 ($18). 

Today, I pay KSh. 5,800 ($58). My landlord travels abroad regularly. So, sometimes I prefer paying rent for several months so that I won’t have to send him money when he is away.

I don’t use matchboxes anymore. Also, I’m now stable and able to do bulk shopping. It’s God’s doing. I praise and glorify His name.

I, therefore, want to encourage somebody today.

You don’t have to cry all day; there’s hope for you.

But I didn’t start up there in online training. 

I thought you should know! My first client was paying $30 for ten articles, 1000 words long. Don’t waste time thinking about Upwork service charge that they usually deduct. I didn’t care about it; all I wanted was money that could take care of my expenses.

I was fed up with borrowing $5 for bundles every day.

Today, I don’t work for such low-paying clients. I’ve gained enough experience through hard work and determination. So, why go for those clients? It’s not worth it. Right?

Actually, I no longer source clients from content mills such as Upwork and Fivver. Most of my clients are from social media and my blog. I train my trainees not to depend on content mills, too.

Why is that so?

Your account can get closed indefinitely while there are bills to be cleared. Diversifying is key!

I’m also glad I took Walter’s advice and started a blog. Recently I even wrote a 5,000-word article on my blog, something I thought I could never do.

I once dropped a client because he requested long-form reviews. 5000 words, to be precise! Today I marvel at what God has done. Last year (2020), I wrote an ebook for a client, 11 000 words! If you believe in yourself, work hard, be open-minded, and involve God, impossible is nothing to you!

Though you’ve no food, no rent, no job, know that God will help you. However, you must be willing to work hard.  Like me, you can start with Walter’s free mini-course so that you can get his insightful emails. If you’re already receiving his emails and you want more, consider enrolling for his full course.

All the best in your freelance writing career!