My heart breaks for people in need. But it also breaks when I feel used.

Yesterday during rehearsals, someone came looking for me.
I saw him sitting quietly at the back of the church—patient, almost timid.

After the session, he walked up to me and shared his story:
He’d just been released from prison. He had nowhere to go and needed help getting back to Rivers State.
He said his mother—his only surviving parent—was unreachable.

In that moment, my heart softened. I wanted to help. I always want to help.

But after he left… doubt crept in.
What if it was all a lie? What if I’d just been played?

It hurts to think that someone could take advantage of compassion.
But it hurts even more to think I might turn away the next person who truly needs help… just because I’ve been burned before.

I’m struggling with this.

How do you tell the difference?

How do you keep your heart open without being taken for granted?

If you’ve ever faced this kind of moment, I’d really love to hear how you handled it.

If you are going through a situation, you're probably being refined.

Stay through the course.

Talk is Cheap — Execution is Where the Magic Is

In 2019, James had a dream to start a clothing brand.

He talked about it every day.
He designed logos, chose brand names, even created mockups.
He told friends, shared it in WhatsApp groups, and watched countless YouTube videos on how to launch a fashion business.

But year after year, nothing launched.

Meanwhile, his quiet friend Tolu never said much.

One day, Tolu simply posted a photo of a shirt with the caption:
"Available in all sizes. DM to order."

No logo.
No fancy branding.
No hype.

Just one shirt, one photo, and one action.

Fast forward 2 years — James is still “planning,” while Tolu now supplies clothing to 12 stores, runs an Instagram shop with thousands of followers, and just secured a deal to produce uniforms for a local school.

You see, the difference wasn’t talent. It wasn’t even about who had the better design.

The difference was execution.

Talk is cheap. We all have ideas.
But it’s the quiet ones who show up, do the work, and start small — they’re the ones who see the magic.



Years ago, I had a vision — to build an indigenous social commerce network for Nigeria and Africa.
Why? Because we have the economic numbers, the creativity, and the hunger to grow.

So I deployed my time, energy, and resources to move that vision beyond just an idea.

Today, that vision is YuSocial, and we are on our way to scaling it — not just for one person, but for the entire community of entrepreneurs, content creators, and forward-thinkers across the continent.

Have you downloaded the YuSocial app yet?
If not, now’s the best time to join us: https://bit.ly/getyusocial


“Your dream doesn’t need more time. It needs more action.”
— Start now. The world is waiting.

#YuSocial #ExecutionOverExcuses #AfricaRising #StartWhereYouAre #MakeItHappen #SocialCommerce #NaijaToTheWorld

Walk with me, let me tell you a karmic story.

A friend of mine, let's call her Uduak, banks with a certain Nigerian bank.

Whenever she goes there to carry out transactions, she dashes money to the police officer and the private security guards on duty. Nothing huge, but enough for them to express their deepest gratitude each time.

One time, Uduak's mother was very sick and in the hospital. As her primary caregiver, Uduak was in charge of buying medication, paying for tests, and other things. One day, she had to pay some medical bills. But there was a problem.

She'd spent so much money that day, that she'd exceeded the daily transaction limit on her account. It was a weekend and the bank was closed. So, she couldn't walk in and increase her transaction limit.

Desperate to take out money and pay for her mother's treatment, Uduak asked one of the security guys, the one she'd known the longest, if her sibling could pay some money into his account and he'd withdraw some of it and give it to her in cash and transfer the remainder into her account.

"No problem, Ma," he replied.

The money was sent - ₦350,000. Mr Security Guard said he hadn't gotten the credit alert. Maybe it was the network. Call and confirm that it was sent. Yes, it was sent. Let's wait, the alert will come. Uduak waited. After some time had passed, Mr Security Guard acknowledged receipt. Then he said he couldn't give her the money.

At first, my friend thought it was a joke. You can't give me the money how? Is this playing? It's in your account. Withdraw some for me, transfer the rest.

"Ah, me I can't do it o," the guy said. "My wife saw the money the moment it entered and she texted me that she has already used it to pay for something."

Uduak nearly went mad. She fell to her knees and begged. For her money.

"Please. Don't do this. That money is for my mother's treatment. She's in the hospital right now. Please. Give me the money."

Mr Security Guard did not budge. The other guards and policeman drew closer and asked what was happening. My friend filled them in. They basically said, "Tor, there's nothing he can do nah. His wife has used it."

At that point, my friend was wailing. What kind of trouble had she gotten herself into? She'd always been nice to them. Why would they do this to her? As she was crying, she overheard them talking, asking the guy if truly his wife had used the money. Yeah, he said she'd used it, but not all.

They said, "If she hasn't used all, you sef, use the remaining to buy beer for us during your child dedication this coming Sunday."

Ahhhh! My friend was weak.

"You're using the money meant for a sick woman to buy things for your baby's dedication? You want to buy beer with it? Why are you doing this? Have I ever offended you?"

Ignoring her, the security guard answered a call. Then he handed the phone to Uduak.

"My wife wants to speak with you."

Uduak collected the phone, hoping she could reason with his spouse, woman to woman. She listened with a rapidly breaking heart as the woman on the other side spoke.

"Madam, there's no need to keep disturbing my husband. I've used the money to buy things for our baby's dedication this coming Sunday."

"You used all my money? Just now now now, you used 350k? Madam, please. That money is meant for my mother's treatment. Please return it. I'm begging you."

"Ha! I said I've used it nah. What do you want me to do?"

My friend burst into fresh tears and pled with her to at least give back something, no matter how small. Grudgingly, Mrs Security Guard said she'd refund some. And that after she sent it, Uduak shouldn't stress them about repaying the rest because they wouldn't be able to do so. Mr Security Guard asked for her account details. Some minutes later, Uduak got a credit alert for ₦100,000.

Wiping her tears, she turned and told that uniformed gang of Yahoo Princes and their Princess, that she was leaving them in the hands of God.

We, her friends, were maaaaaad! What do you mean leave them to God? You better go back and report these 419ners to the bank.. But Uduak was too consumed with caring for her mother to bother.

Days after that incident, Uduak's mother passed away.

A couple of weeks or so later, Mrs Security Guard called her. To ask for forgiveness. For mercy. You see that baby they'd dedicated? Something something happened. The baby fell sick. The baby has died.

Uduak told her she was mourning her mum too and hung up on her.

A few days later, Mr Security Guard called. To say sorry. To ask for forgiveness. Something something happened. His brother has died.

Again, Uduak hung up.

More days passed. Mr Security Guard's colleague, one of the Association of Beer Drinkers, called. To ask her for mercy. Maybe pray for him. Somehow somehow, his mother fell ill after that weekend. Something something happened. His mother has died.

Click. Hang up.

Then the police officer called. She didn't even bother picking the call. Karma was doing a good job already - no need for her to interfere.

Que sera sera. Let what will be, be.

Now she's going to the bank to report them. What they started, she's about to finish. That ₦250,000 they withheld? It's gonna choke them ten ways to Sunday.

~ Eketi Edima Ette

Ever spent years building a loyal community, only to wonder if you could truly earn from it?

At YuSocial, we believe that community is currency — and creators deserve more than just likes and follows.

Imagine this:
You run a thriving group for a niche audience — maybe it’s about photography, fitness, finance, or even tech.

General conversations and tips happen publicly for free... but when it’s time for exclusive trainings, premium content, or deep-dive sessions, only your paying subscribers or specific group members can access those posts.

Engagements (likes, shares and comments) on your posts earn both you and your members points which you can use to reach more people on the network for free and grow your community faster.

Now, you're not just sharing knowledge — you're building real income streams from the community you’re passionately growing.

And for everyone who buys or sells on YuSocial, our escrow-powered marketplace ensures that every transaction is secure, trusted, and scam-free.

Here, your influence pays off.
Your audience supports you.
Your transactions are protected.

YuSocial is empowering creators to earn from their communities and securing online transactions.

Ready to start earning from your community?

Download the YuSocial app today on PlayStore and get started - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.yusocial.app

#YuSocial #CreatorEconomy #MonetizeYourCommunity #SocialCommerce #DigitalTrust #Escrow #ContentCreators

I hope this inspires you as it inspired me.
Share your takeaways in the comment section.