I spent my entire NYSC allowance on a US Visa only to be denied—-Nigerian Lady cries in pain
When Gbemisola Taiwo set her sights on earning a master’s degree in the United States, she did what many dreamers do—she sacrificed everything for a shot at a better future. But instead of boarding a plane to America, she was left with an empty bank account, crushed hopes, and a painful U.S. visa rejection.
In a heartfelt post on X (formerly Twitter), Taiwo shared how she spent her entire National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) allowance, along with a portion of her meager salary, just to finance the cost of applying to U.S. schools. Throughout her service year, she never spent a single kobo of her government stipend.
“I didn’t touch my NYSC allowance at all,” she wrote. “At the time, I was working with a company, and I would take out ₦200 from my salary, then add it to the allowance to make it ₦20,000.”
That ₦20,000—painstakingly saved naira by naira—was poured into application fees, transcript submissions, and all the required paperwork. It was all she had, and she risked it all on a dream. But the dream shattered when her visa application was rejected.
“Every single dime was wasted,” Taiwo lamented. “I cried ehn.”
The rejection hit hard—not just financially, but emotionally. For Taiwo, that allowance wasn’t just money; it was the most she’d ever saved. It represented discipline, delayed gratification, and the audacity to believe in something bigger than her present circumstances.
“Truth is, I honestly can’t remember the exact ‘how’ I got through it. But I remember how crushed I felt. That NYSC allowance meant the world to me,” she wrote.
But Taiwo didn’t stay down for long. Almost like divine timing, she landed a job right after NYSC, earning a starting salary of ₦100,000. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, she began saving again—this time with a deeper understanding of financial discipline and emotional resilience.
Those painful lessons eventually paved the way for something even better: a successful master’s degree pursuit in the UK, which she completed in 2022.
“It didn’t work out back then, but those same habits helped me save towards my UK master’s,” Taiwo said. “And that decision has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve done with my life.”
Her story, while rooted in disappointment, is one of redemption and hope. A powerful reminder that sometimes the “No” you receive today is just life redirecting you to something better.
“Some setbacks come to sharpen you for the next level,” she concluded. “That visa rejection felt like the worst thing I’d ever been through… but the truth? I’ve been through worse—and I came out stronger. God is good.”
From heartbreak to breakthrough, Gbemisola’s journey is a testament to resilience, faith, and the power of redirection.
