My Story:
"I believe in my heart a poor man is not the man without a cent, the poor man is the man without a dream."
As a child born in an impoverished city Asyut, located in the middle of Egypt, Samir lived a life most would deem as perilous. Samir was raised an abused child in a household of six other siblings. To say his family was living in poverty is an understatement. For a perspective of how poor their situation was, Samir's father made about $15 a month working. $15 a month equivalates into about $450 a month in today's society with 7 kids.
"'Samir, I want you to go to school, and be good, so you won't be like daddy.' -I will never forget that"
"Do I really hate my dad for that? No. I love my dad, and I honor my dad. He just did the best he could."
Samir's abuse went from being starved, kicked out into the middle of the night from home, and as far as being burned with a red-hot iron so badly that he couldn't write with his right hand for 2 years. Causing himself to become left-hand dominate. The reason for these abuses? One case was due to Samir's curiosity about his father's watch. Samir's father spent most of the family's income to purchase a watch for himself to tell time. Samir wanted to know how it worked so one day when his father left it home, Samir smashed it open with a hammer and completely destroyed it. Samir was then starved for 3 whole days.
Samir was granted $145 (more than what his father made in 6 months) from a close friend and employer. A dried loaf of bread and a pack of cheese was what he survived for 10 days. He ventured into Italy and pursued a career in soccer for 4 years. Samir ended up coming back home to Asyut as a failure. While home heard of the greatest nathion in the world, "the United States of America" and was ridiculed by his friends when we said he would go to the America's. The issue wasn't money to travel, it was to get a Visa!
"The greatest and the glorious masterpiece of a man is how to live with purpose."
"I was scared to talk to people because I didn't know how to speak English."
Upon receiving a Visa, Samir came to America with $40 in his pocket and no English or social skills. After arriving, Samir got busy and dedicated himself to working to his fullest potential to make a living. From odd jobs like fixing up typewriters to running a massive paper out single-handedly. Samir was able to afford luxuries he never could have had in his birthplace. Yet, he never achieved significance from all his hard work. He knew there was more to life than working a job and dying.