Help me solve this mystery. I met someone from Venezuela at Steemfest while partying at the Snooker Club and I can't remember who it was.
It was a young man who took me aside and told me a story that almost made me cry. He said his father asked him to find me at Steemfest and thank me for creating Steemit Open Mic and to relay to me the profound effect this contest had on their lives.
I feel silly now that I can't remember his name.
He told me that his father entered the Open Mic contest a while back and although he didn't win his post had earned $78 in rewards. "That's fantastic!", I told him.
He went on to say that the minimum wage in his country is $4 per month. $4 per month! That's insane!
The income made from that one post is almost 20 months of earnings. A professor with a degree teaching at a major university in Venezuela earns about $5 per month.
I knew things were bad in Venezuela but I had no idea they were that bad. There are many countries in similar situations which would explain why Steemit is so popular in countries like Nigeria, India, Philippines, and Kenya.
He said that his whole family is now on Steemit and earn on average $10 per week each. This has literally changed their lives in a most direct way.
If you ever catch me complaining about low earnings on a post I want you to slap me. We should all be grateful for what we have and the amazing opportunity that Steemit represents.
Anyway, if you remember talking to me at the Snooker Club about this, please reach out to me and let me know. I would recognize you if I saw you again and I would really like to follow you. Leave a comment with a picture of yourself so I can see it is you.
Your story is forever ingrained in my mind and touched my heart. I'm so happy to know that I played a small part in making life better for you and your family and I'm proud of you for jumping into Steemit full time. I want to continue to support you in any way I can.
UPDATE: Thanks to the amazing Steemit community and some help from @steevc I was able to find and connect with the mystery man from Venezuela ( @oscarcc89 ) a mere 2-hours after publishing this post. He left a comment below which I encourage you to upvote to show support.
The Steemit community never ceases to amaze me. Let's change the world one person and one account at a time!
P.S. - This post just pushed my rep up to 73! Cool.
There are many places in the world where a few SBD can make a huge difference in their lives. In this video, by @starkerz he shows the positive social reactions in communities around the world who are embracing and promoting Steemit and improving their lives and their communities.
