The Lamentation of a Nigerian in USA

Poster 

Imagine marrying a man you thought was a medical doctor with a good life, and coming to the USA to realize he was sharing an apartment with a roommate. In a few months, you guys are sleeping in his office because he could not make rent. You are pregnant, and you realize giving birth in the USA is not free like they told you. You had to pay around $5,400 to deliver a baby. 

The man had no clear plan for securing the money for the baby delivery. You turn back to your talent, dancing. You went out on the streets of Los Angeles dressed in a “Cat woman” suit to dance and get tips from people. It felt undignified. You come home and tell your husband what the hustle was, and his response was, “You can do this babe,” with no sign of help. No one was coming to save you. You took your life in your hands. 

You went to the street and danced for 4 months. On good days, you made $700 a day. You raised the initial money for your delivery. The whole time, people online thought you were living the dream. You had to have a home birth for your second child, which you streamed online so you could save money. Home births are cheaper than hospital births. 

You packaged a broke man as a doctor doing well in the USA. That is who Korra Obidi is. A wife material that many cannot relate to, dancing through her pain, showing up, fighting poverty in the most beautiful form, the type of poverty that many people back home cannot even imagine. Imagine sleeping on a massage table. When people judge this woman, laugh. 

When it gets to your turn, don’t use your talent to fight out of international poverty. It is one thing to be poor in Nigeria; at least you will see who will help you. Try being poor in the USA; your eye go first blurrrrr. Nobody go look your face, even family and friends. E no dey hard people to block number here. You will become like a person with leprosy.

Source: Korra Obidi