Letters from the Diaspora (Diaspora Stories) is a newsletter series by Send App where we chat with someone from the diaspora and explore what life abroad really feels like, from the wins, the challenges, and the quiet strategies people develop just to keep moving forward. This month, we spoke with Femi.

When we got on a call with Femi, he was on the train in Istanbul, Turkey, on the way to deliver amala from his new catering side gig. Femi runs a food delivery gig that he was inspired to start while scrapping by with nothing to eat on most days. Since arriving in Turkey, Femi has worn many identities: assistant footballer, delivery guy, footballer, and amala joint guy. 

There was a time that survival meant going from restaurant to restaurant to ask for leftovers to eat, but Femi isn’t the type to get discouraged, even with the hardest tackle. Femi’s life in Turkey is a mix of gritty grinding and a slice of luck. Like the time a restaurant owner became fond of him and gave him permission to walk into his restaurant anytime to eat for free. Today, Femi runs a food gig, delivering delicious Nigerian and African dishes to diasporas in Turkey; he even plans to expand.

Femi knows a thing or two about figuring things out in unfamiliar places, so we asked him about hustle, survival, and how diasporas can think more entrepreneurially about life abroad.

Why did you decide to stay back in Turkey instead of returning to Nigeria?

Femi: When I got this opportunity to come here, the first thing I told my friend was that we have to achieve something here. We can’t come from so far away, just to go home the same; we needed to try to do something here first. 

At that early stage, how were you getting by?

Femi: I was struggling a lot. There was a time when I didn't have money to eat. I was working at a football academy. They gave me accommodation but no salary. 

One day, I was very hungry, and I went to a restaurant close to where I was staying and asked for leftovers. The next day, the owner called me and asked for my story. From that day, he told me I could come anytime and eat any food I wanted. That helped me a lot. With the accommodation and that food, I didn’t need to look for another job immediately. I could focus on what I was building here in Turkey. He still calls me till today to ask if I have eaten.

Would you say that was the first time someone really supported you there?

Femi: Yes. In this whole country, he was the first person that really backed me. I will never forget it.

How did Amala Joint start from there?

Femi: It started small. At first, I was not cooking the food myself. I was a middleman. Basically, when someone orders, I go to a restaurant that I’ve had initial agreements with, tell them how the customer wants the food prepared, they prepare it, and then I deliver it. So if I sell the food for 1,500 lira, I pay the restaurant 1,200 and take 300 as my profit. I was also charging for delivery. At that time, I didn’t have any overhead costs because I was not employing anybody.

But that model changed over time?

Femi: Yes. When I started getting more customers, the restaurant owners increased their prices. They were not happy that I was bringing more customers than they were getting directly. So the model was no longer sustainable. That was when I decided to cut out the middleman.

What made you think that way — to switch models instead of stopping?

Femi: I just saw that the first model was not going to work long-term. So I used the money I had made to start a kitchen and employ a chef. Now I have my own in-house kitchen. The chef prepares the food, and I deliver it or use riders.

You also mentioned you coded your own website. How did that happen?

Femi: I first built the website on Shopify. Later, I decided to code my own website to reduce costs. It took me about four months of learning. I used MongoDB, React, Express, and Node. I just kept learning and building.

You’re running a business, coding, and also playing football. How does football fit into your life now?

Femi: I play for an amateur team here. I’m not signed to any agent, but I attend football trials for clubs in Spain or Saudi Arabia. At the same time, I’m building my business because football is very competitive. You’re not sure of going pro. So I’m doing both.

What has surprised you the most about your experience abroad?

Femi: The kindness I got from that man. Also, I would say being Nigerian has helped me. I’ve met people from different countries, and I think Nigerians have a different mindset. We’re used to solving problems. Coming here, I see problems that have already been solved, and I also see opportunities from the ones that haven’t been.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far?

Femi: Don’t think too much. Just start. I’ve seen people who have ideas but are scared. They overthink everything. Life will always come with unexpected things; the only thing you can control is taking the first step.

You’ve had many hustling phases. What did those early broken stages actually teach you?

Femi: I think people misunderstand being broke. When money is tight, you start paying attention differently. You notice what people are spending on, what problems annoy them daily, and where services are slow or expensive. You’re forced to ask yourself, “Why does this exist like this?” That curiosity becomes useful later. Looking back, those periods were like unpaid business school.

When we asked Femi what he is most proud of, he didn’t point to money

He kept coming back to the same thing: he is still building, still learning, and still trying. Between running Amala Joint and chasing football, Femi is still hungry for more. And for many people, that hunger for more, even without certainty, is sometimes the real win.

Femi’s story is a reminder that life abroad is not always a straight line. Sometimes it is a series of decisions made without full clarity, but with enough belief to keep going without leaving space for self-doubt.

Hungry for More in Turkey is the latest feature in our "Letters from the Diaspora" (Diaspora stories) newsletter. It's our fifth published story, and you can catch our most recent story here. It’s about Rolake and how she found healing by moving to a tiny island in Canada.