23/08/2026
This message made my day, and even made me cry, not because my name, Israel Ekene Mbam was mentioned, but because the moral lessons are encouragement not to give up on people, and on your dreams or allow the actions, response or attitude of those around you or persons you have assisted force you to change the real person you are.
Please take time to read the four year success story of Chibuzor Simon
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FROM $70 AND TWO NIGHTS AT THE AIRPORT TO A LEGACY OF BREAKTHROUGH
Four Years of Hardship, Faith, Determination, and Breakthrough
Four years.
Four years of hardship.
Four years of uncertainty.
Four years of sacrifice.
Four years of learning, growing, falling, rising, and refusing to give up.
It has not been easy.
But today, as I look back at the journey, I can only say one thing:
God has been faithful.
My story began on August 22, 2022, when I arrived in Canada with nothing but a dream, determination, and approximately US$70 in my pocket.
I had come to Canada to study a three-month Diploma program in Travel and Tourism. My original plan was simple: complete the program and return home.
I had no idea that the journey ahead would become one of the greatest tests of my life.
My school was supposed to begin on September 10, and before leaving Nigeria, I had been told that I would go directly to the school when I arrived. But when I landed in Canada, I called the school and was told something completely different:
There was no hostel or accommodation available for students.
That was the moment my real journey began.
I had arrived in a foreign country with about $70, no accommodation, no family member around me, and very little understanding of how things worked.
My phone, an Android device, stopped working.
I could barely communicate.
I did not know where to go.
I did not know whom to call.
I did not even know where I would sleep.
For two nights, I slept at the airport.
Imagine arriving in a country full of dreams and possibilities, only to find yourself sitting in an airport with your bags, wondering what the next morning would bring.
I remember making calls back to Nigeria, desperately trying to find help.
I was praying:
“God, please help me. I cannot help myself. I am in a strange land, and nobody knows what I am going through.”
What made it even more painful was that some of my family members did not even know that I was no longer in Nigeria.
But God was already working behind the scenes.
I remember Mr. Israel Mbam telling me that there was a brother from our local government, Ikwo, who was living in Canada.
Through someone else’s phone, I was able to contact him.
He told me to give him some time while he communicated with the man.
That man was Mr. Joshua.
When Mr. Joshua eventually called back, I was told that he was at work and that he would come for me when he returned.
When he finally arrived at the airport, I felt something I will never forget:
I felt like God had answered my prayer.
He took me to his home.
He gave me food.
He gave me a place to shower.
At that point, I had been through so much that even those simple things felt like a miracle.
I was exhausted, confused, and desperate for stability.
He helped me get back on my feet, and for that, I will always be grateful.
After about a week, I started trying to find my way around and figure out what I was going to do next.
He gave me suggestions about different options available to me, but I kept telling him:
“I am a student. I came here to study. I want to go to school.”
Eventually, I left and went into a shelter.
When I arrived at Peter Street, I went through the intake process, put down my bag, and slept on the floor.
Eventually, arrangements were made for me to stay in a hotel.
At the time, I was not seeking asylum, so I did not qualify for certain government assistance programs available to asylum seekers.
I spent a lot of time trying to understand my options and figure out how I was going to survive.
But one thing I knew was that I loved my country, and I wanted to remain true to myself and to the purpose for which I had come to Canada.
So I stood my ground.
I kept going.
I completed my diploma.
Then something began to change.
Slowly, things started getting better.
After about six months, I was asked to leave the place where I was staying because I was already working.
Once again, I called Mr. Joshua.
He told me that there was a room in his apartment and that I could stay there and pay toward the accommodation.
I agreed.
I went back.
I stayed there for about a year.
Eventually, we went our separate ways, and another person moved into the apartment.
I moved forward.
And looking back now, I realize that that separation was one of the greatest turning points in my life.
There was a disagreement, and I was asked to leave. I had paid a deposit for my final month, and that money was never refunded.
At the time, I was hurt.
I questioned everything.
But today, I see things differently.
Sometimes, what feels like rejection is actually redirection.
Being forced to leave that comfortable environment pushed me into a new chapter.
If I had remained comfortable, I may never have explored the businesses and opportunities that eventually changed my life.
I moved into my own apartment.
I started building.
I started working harder.
I started exploring opportunities I had never considered before.
And that was where another chapter of my breakthrough began.
Today, I can look back and say that the things I once cried about became some of the very things that pushed me toward my purpose.
During these four years, I did not stop learning.
I completed my diploma in Travel and Tourism.
I went on to study Healthcare Administration, a program that included an internship placement.
I also began a two-year program with the University of the People in the United States, studying Network Application Engineering.
And as if that was not enough, I was later admitted to study Law and Society at York University.
There was no rest.
There was no shortcut.
There was simply determination.
There were days when I was tired.
There were days when I questioned myself.
There were days when I wondered whether everything would work out.
But I kept moving.
And while I was studying, working, and trying to survive, I was also building.
Today, I am grateful that those years of sacrifice helped me build sophisticated businesses and create opportunities across the country where I live.
But I want anyone reading this to understand something:
The journey to success is rarely as beautiful as the success itself.
People see the results.
They see the suit.
They see the businesses.
They see the achievements.
They see the breakthrough.
But they do not always see the airport floor.
They do not see the $70.
They do not see the fear.
They do not see the unanswered calls.
They do not see the nights of uncertainty.
They do not see the shelter.
They do not see the moments when you have to encourage yourself because nobody else is there to do it for you.
That is why I am sharing this story.
Please read it to the end, because somebody is going to learn from it.
I want you to understand that where you give up is where your story ends.
If you keep moving, keep believing, keep learning, keep working, and keep trusting God, you give yourself another opportunity to see what tomorrow can bring.
Four years ago, I arrived in Canada with approximately $70 and no clear idea of where I would sleep.
Today, I am standing in a completely different place.
Not because the journey was easy.
But because I refused to stop.
Traveling to another country is not the same thing as building a life there.
Immigration is not magic.
Success is not automatic.
It requires determination, discipline, sacrifice, patience, courage, faith, and a clear understanding of what you want for yourself.
Before you leave your country, you need to know what you are willing to sacrifice to become the person you want to be.
Because the destination does not determine your success.
Your mindset does.
As I celebrate this chapter of my life, I also want to talk about something that matters deeply to me:
Legacy.
The greatest legacy you can create in this life is not simply wealth.
It is the number of people whose lives become better because you existed.
That is why, on my birthday, November 24, I intend to bless about two or three people in a meaningful way.
I want my birthday to be more than a celebration of my existence.
I want it to become an opportunity to give back, to encourage someone, to support someone, and to help someone believe that their story can change.
Because I know what it feels like to need help.
I know what it feels like to pray for someone to open a door.
And I know what it feels like when God sends someone to open that door.
TO MR. ISRAEL MBAM
I want to sincerely appreciate Mr. Israel Mbam, the man God used to help me when I was at one of the lowest points of my journey.
You helped me get out of the airport and into a shelter.
You showed me kindness when I needed it most.
But what many people may never know is the kind of person you truly are.
When I lived with you, you never made me feel like I was less important.
I remember how you would say, in essence, that what belonged to your brothers belonged to them, and what was yours was yours.
You made sure things were shared fairly.
There was a time when you and your wife lived in a one-bedroom apartment, while your sister, your brother, and I slept on the floor in the sitting room.
Yet, despite the circumstances, we were happy.
We laughed.
We lived together.
We supported one another.
There are things about you that many people will never know.
Even when you did not have much, you still found a way to give.
You never chased people for what they had.
You were content with what God gave you.
You believed in God.
And that is one of the reasons I will always call you my elder brother.
Sir, my prayer for you is simple:
May God open doors for you that no human being can shut.
May your blessings become so great that you will not be able to count them.
May every act of kindness you have shown to others return to you in ways you never expected.
You have a large heart, and I pray that heaven rewards you abundantly.
Thank you, sir.
TO MY FAMILY
To my mother, my brothers, my senior sisters, and every member of my family who has prayed for me, encouraged me, supported me, and believed in me:
Thank you.
I do not take your love for granted.
Every prayer mattered.
Every word of encouragement mattered.
Every sacrifice mattered.
Every time you believed in me when things were not clear mattered.
I love you all.
And I promise you:
I will continue to make you proud.
TO EVERYONE WHO HAS SUPPORTED ME
To everyone who has prayed for me, encouraged me, supported me, celebrated me, or simply believed in me from a distance:
Thank you.
I may not be able to mention every name, but I carry your kindness with me.
And to those who have ever been taken advantage of because of their kindness, I want to say this:
Do not let somebody else’s actions turn your heart into stone.
Continue to do good.
Continue to help when you can.
Continue to be kind.
God sees everything.
People may close doors around themselves because of the way they treat others, but God has a way of opening doors that nobody can close.
FOUR YEARS LATER
When I think about August 22, 2022, I remember a young man arriving in Canada with approximately $70.
I remember two nights at the airport.
I remember the fear.
I remember the prayers.
I remember the shelter.
I remember sleeping on the floor.
I remember wondering how I was going to survive.
But I also remember the people God sent.
I remember the opportunities.
I remember the lessons.
I remember the setbacks.
I remember the breakthroughs.
And most importantly, I remember God.
If there is one lesson I want you to take from my story, it is this:
Never allow a difficult beginning to convince you that you have a bad ending.
Your current situation is not your final destination.
Your rejection may become your redirection.
Your hardship may become your testimony.
Your struggle may become the foundation upon which your success is built.
And the place where you think your life is ending may actually be the place where your new life begins.
Four years ago, I was asking God to help me survive.
Today, I am asking God to help me build a legacy.
And as I return to Nigeria, I am not coming back empty-handed.
I am coming back with ideas.
I am coming back with experience.
I am coming back with opportunities.
I am coming back with development.
And I am coming back with a desire to build with my people.
We are going to walk this journey together.
On my birthday, I will also be launching a program that I believe will create opportunities for many people.
Get ready.
This is no longer just about my story.
This is about what we can build together.
Because at the end of the day, the greatest success is not how high you climb.
It is how many people you help rise with you.
THIS IS MY STORY.
Four years of hardship.
Four years of faith.
Four years of determination.
Four years of growth.
Four years of breakthrough.
And I am only getting started.
To God be all the glory.
Me: Simon Chibuzor , I had always celebrated the grace you carry, even when it seemed you turned your back at me. But I always believed in your passion and determination to push through for success in life.
Greater heights Sir
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