Maybe if you’re fortunate enough to meet an NGO trying to raise funds, they can use your story for some campaign about poverty. But if you’re trying to build up and you start with your sad story? It won’t work!

That’s because people have discovered that those with sad stories often have nothing to offer but their sad stories.

Even if you’re going to share a sad story, it should be while delivering value. I usually have people DM me, just as some people have DM’d you, saying they haven’t eaten since morning, their kids are hungry, and all sorts of excuses.

The truth is that once you come with that story without any value addition, you look like a burden. Unless the person is a philanthropic organization, it’s a turn-off.

So how do you go about it? Deliver value, then maybe your story can be looked into.

I shared earlier this week that I had worked in a legal Chambers, and people were shocked. I had worked in at least three law firms as a typists.

I didn’t get these jobs by sharing pity stories but by offering value. I got into a chamber after a lawyer noticed how accurately and fast I typed and decided to introduce me to a chamber that was in search of a typist.

That was how I climbed up until I used the legal offices to complete my education. While there, I shared no pity stories, just delivered value. It is when you come close and I trust you, and then decide to tell you my story, that you will know.

At that time, I am giving you value, and you will want to help, not seeing people online and throwing them off with your pity story.

All my friends who use to share pity stories for funds then are still sharing it, they now also share it to me who use to be one of them. They just haven’t realise yet that we use to be together oo, they’ve spent the past almost 20 years sharing sad stories for a living.

Instead of saying, “I haven’t eaten, anything you give me is okay,” why not say, “I do XYZ and would be happy to volunteer.” There is no one who sees a good volunteer that won’t decide to employ them fully. No one will allow you to volunteer without giving at least basic payments.

But you have to provide value, to be ready to work seriously, you have to offer something. It cannot always be you going after freebies.

You will never grow that way. It is not a curse; it is a fact.