Mo lived with his siblings, but after several arguments, he had to leave and became homeless aged 21. Despite having an engineering qualification, he struggled to find an apprenticeship and eventually began working as a security guard. However, the agency would only give him one shift a week, which wasn’t enough to pay rent. With nowhere to go, and no means of supporting himself, he went to the council. They referred him to Depaul UK’s Nightstop service.
Mo spent five months staying with various Nightstop hosts and remembers how safe and happy he felt during this time. “There’s one host couple who I remember well,” he says. “I used to cook meals for them, which wasn’t expected of me, but I insisted because I really enjoy cooking. They loved it – I know how to make a good curry!”
“Another host took my recipe as she liked it so much. We cooked together, and it was nice to make lovely nutritious food from scratch,” Mo recalls. “I remember she also had a projector, so we watched a film after dinner, and it was like being at a cinema.”
Whilst being supported by Nightstop, Mo completed a housing application through the council and was offered his own flat. Shortly after, Mo met his wife, and they now have a daughter together. “Things have really levelled up over the last few years. Since I got my place, I’ve also now got a full-time job that I love, so you should never give up.”
