Financial Difficulties

Bills and debt collectors cling to Naaman’s neck like a strangling noose.  With $28,000 owed and only earning $1,250 a month (not to mention the money he is expected to send home to family), the future looks bleak for Naaman.

Naaman grew up as the prince of his household as the eldest and only son of his family living in Chennai, India. He grew up in a traditional Muslim household and studied accounting. He dreamed of moving to Dubai hearing stories about how it’s a land of success professionally and relationally.  He packed up all his belongings and flew over the Arabian Sea. 

Soon after he arrived, Naaman opened a bank account so he could receive his salary.  The bank employee introduced a credit card with a credit limit that was three times his monthly salary and pressured him to apply.  It was Naaman’s first experience with modern banking and using credit.  He worked for four months before his employer paid him and so his credit card debt began to rise, but he didn’t worry because he had enough to make his monthly amount.  Also, during this time, his mother arranged a marriage for him and so to pay for the wedding Naaman began to search for a loan.  He found a personal loan with a 32% interest rate that was ten times his salary.  However, after spending thousands of dollars for the arrangements, the bride called off the wedding.  

Naaman started going through the motions of work completely numb.  His paycheck slipped slowly through his fingers into the loan payments.  He began to borrow money from friends to afford to live and send money home because he couldn’t tell his family without shaming them.  Of course, during Covid, his friends started to ask for their money back.  He still owes $6,000 to his friends and has only paid one year of the loan. Now the credit card company has been calling him for collections.  

 Prayer Requests

Pray that migrant workers will look to Jesus as their hope and know His grace.

Pray for people to rise-up to provide financial education as well as help for the migrant workers overwhelmed by debt.