I used to have my own car rental franchise, back then I felt like I was on top of the world. I started off with small vehicles but as I was aiming to grow the business I got the higher rent cars. When someone crashed the expensive cars, my business went bankrupt. I ended up losing everything. My Mum passed away during that time and I had to close my business and sell all my assets. I ended up on the streets in a matter of months after that incident. That's when I realized a lot of people weren't really there for me. I don't speak to anyone from my old life, all my family members abandoned me.
Luckily I had support to get into housing and now I volunteer with the homeless and food banks at the Mosque. I like to give back as I know how it feels to sleep rough on the streets, there were people who helped me when they didn't have to. A 1 hour conversation with a stranger went a long way to keep my mental health on track. I know more than anyone that there are little things you can do that can really help someone in a crisis.
Although I really enjoy volunteering, I want to get some financial stability and find secure work in construction, so I don't have to worry about bills. I'm interested in the construction industry as I'm used to working outside and I'm a hands-on person. I've always had a passion for fixing and repairing things. When I was homeless I helped an older man in one of the Mosques in Leicester, he was working on building a conservatory. I helped him with the measurements and then I helped him build it. It took 3 months to finish it. I loved the sense of achievement I got when I saw the transformation, it made me realize that what I truly want is that sense of achievement on a daily basis.