My name is Sampson, and for many years, life has forced me to grow up faster than I ever imagined.

Ten years ago, I lost my father. From that moment, life changed completely. I watched my mother struggle with her health while our family struggled to survive. I was still a child, but I began to understand that if I did not do something, there might not be enough food on our table.

At just 13 years old, I started working in a laundry business. I worked for two years while trying to remain in school. I wanted to study, but hunger and poverty were always waiting for us at home.

Eventually, my education suffered. I failed my final examination and was not promoted to the next class. I remember locking myself in a room and crying because I felt like everything I had hoped for was disappearing.

In July 2018, I made one of the hardest decisions of my life: I left school so I could work and help my mother.

I began selling food on the streets. I was young, but I had responsibilities that felt much bigger than me. I wasn't thinking about having fun or enjoying my childhood. I was thinking about how to bring something home so that my mother and I could survive.

Then another tragedy happened.

At the age of 15, I was knocked down by a vehicle and had to be admitted to the hospital. After the accident, I struggled to walk and needed crutches because my feet were too weak for my normal daily activities.

But I still couldn't give up.

Because I had no other option, I found a place where I could sit on the street and repair and sew shoes. I did that work for about a year so I could continue feeding myself and helping my mother.

Then, on January 1, 2019, my mother said something I will never forget:

“Sampson, you have to go back to school. At least secure your future.”

I listened.

I returned to school while continuing to work. It was incredibly difficult. I had already become accustomed to making money on the streets, but I knew that education could give me a future beyond survival.

In 2021, I completed high school.

My mother was incredibly happy. Even though we had very little, we celebrated because completing high school felt like a victory over everything we had been through.

But I still had another dream.

I have always loved automobiles and engineering. I wanted to understand how engines work, how vehicles are built, and how I could one day become a professional automobile engineer.

Instead of giving up on that dream, I found work at an automotive shop near me. For three years, I worked and learned everything I could. Sometimes I became so absorbed in learning about engines and vehicles that I would even fall asleep at the shop.

Those three years were not easy, but I managed to save $400

That money represents years of sacrifice.

I now have an opportunity to pursue my dream at university, but there is one problem: I cannot afford the cost by myself.

My current estimated university expenses are:

-Tuition and Enrollment Fees: $2,500

-Accommodation and Living Expenses: $1,500

-Books, Course Supplies and Software: $600

-Student Health Insurance and Essentials: $400

-Total Goal: $5,000

I have already personally saved $400, leaving $4,600 still needed to cover my educational expenses.

I worked as a security guard in 2025 hoping to save enough money, but my mother became seriously ill and much of what I earned had to go toward her treatment, medication and food.

Today, I am asking for help—not because I want an easy life, but because I have spent most of my life fighting for the chance to build one.

I have worked in laundries. I have sold food on the streets. I have repaired and sewn shoes. I have worked in an automotive shop. I have worked as a security guard.

I have fallen behind in school and found my way back.

I have faced an accident and continued moving forward.

And through all of it, I have held onto one dream: to become a professional automobile engineer.

I am asking you to help me take the next step.

Whether you can give $10, $40, $90, $450, or more, your contribution can bring me closer to university and closer to the future I have spent years fighting for.

If you cannot donate, sharing this fundraiser with someone who might be able to help would also mean so much to me.

I don't want the story of my life to end with survival.

I want to turn all those years of struggle into something meaningful.

Please help me go to university.

Please help me become the engineer I have dreamed of becoming.

And please help me give my mother a reason to look back at everything we endured and know that it was not in vain.

Thank you for reading my story, believing in me, and helping me take one more step toward my dream.