Imagine you have to work miles away to support your family and you get to go home only once a month? But imagine you have to work 1500 miles away and unable to get home for months? I would understand if I work in a different country but I’m just in the metro area about 14 hours travel from my hometown. Worse case is, I work in construction. The only place we stay is at my job when we have work.

Since the lockdown, there was no job for us. They won’t allow us to stay in the place where we work and we’ve been told to go home. Will it get any worse? There’s no way for us to go home! We’re homeless. We live under the bridge or anywhere there’s a roof we can stay.

Some of my co-workers and I keep walking every single day and just rest during the night to sleep before we begin our journey again as we try to get to our homes. After a long journey, I’m almost in my hometown. ALMOST. I have a lot of blisters but I need to go home. I’m trying not to spend the money I have so I can take it home for my family. We ask for food on the streets every time we see someone. Some give us food, a lot don’t. One of my co-workers did not survive as he had difficulty breathing, I’m suspecting he had COVID-19. Some got into an accident. I’m happy I’m alive. And I’m almost home.

I was so lucky to have met someone who knew where we can get a ride (tuk-tuk) to go home, fed us, allowed us to clean ourselves, charged our phones, and treated us like humans. In a few days, I will soon be home with my family. I will never forget how COVID-19 almost killed me. I’m dying to see and be with my family.