James Menya

I am James Menya Ibra, those are my given names according to the lady who raised me; my mother died giving birth to me.

I am a Ugandan man.   A friend to my mother took me into her home because my father was unable to care for me.  She managed to take me to school for a while. She was kind to everyone and many kids were at her house. I grew up and reached 15 years, and had a small phone where I used to go on internet to play some games. I accidentally hit a button and added a lady who was called Jo Blackwood and she asked me that who are you, why are you friending me? I shared with her some little story about my life and the people I stay with. Jo was very sorry and almost cried and said to me, hello dear, I am very sorry, I am not rich but I want to help u with some little money. I was very very happy but I asked her, yes help me but how will I receive it? She asked me “Do you have a national ID”? I said no, I am still young and they don’t allow us. She said, send me that lady’s names who stays with u because for her, she had a national ID. She sent $200. We went with the village chairman to the bank and helped us to sign the money through money gram and I wrote to her, saying “Thank you madam, we received the money and bought food, clothes etc,”. She continued sending us some money; it was unbelievable. Later this woman who raised me died and we were forced to get out from the house because her relatives wanted to use it. We were 8 kids from different areas and different stories. I came back to Ms. Blackwood and shared with her again what was happening. I was even shedding tears because I saw that the world was ending. The lady told me that NO, don’t cry, I will support you all, get ask somewhere a small house, I will be renting for you. I didn’t believe it but later told me that she wants to collect for us some money but people want something “legit.”    I said, ”What do you mean by legit?”,  because it was my first time to hear this word.   She said, Let us make it as a project, there we can have much funds.”  I said yes, it’s a good idea, let me go to the village chairman and explain to him. The village chairman took me to the sub county chief and explained to him. They wrote to me a recommendation letter and sent it.