Hello Omar. I’m delighted to meet you. Could you introduce yourself in a few words? What’s your story?
Omar: Hello Marion, glad to meet you too. My name is Omar, I’m 26 and I’m a nurse near Lyon. I’m married and I have a little boy who is 2. I grew up in a small village in Morocco, near Fez, where I spent my childhood with my parents and my three brothers.
We often struggled financially, but my parents always made sure we lacked nothing. As I grew up, I understood that to improve our situation and help my family, I had to continue my studies and build my life abroad. At 21, I decided to come to France and I chose to become a nurse. I like helping people and being useful. That’s why I love this job so much.
How did you experience leaving for France?
Coming to France was a hard decision, because it meant leaving my family and my friends. But I knew it was a necessary sacrifice to give my loved ones a better future. And everyone was counting on me, because I’m the eldest son. When I got my diploma, it was a great joy: I knew I could finally support them financially and help them live better. But it wasn’t so easy at the start.
What difficulties did you run into?
Omar: There were quite a few. When I arrived, it wasn’t easy to adapt to a new culture or to get a real command of French. One of the biggest difficulties I faced was sending money to my family in Morocco. I had to spend time on it, the fees were very high, the delays were long, it was too complicated and I didn’t really understand how it worked.
It stressed me a great deal, because my family was counting on me to support them financially. I spent a lot of time looking for the most suitable and the cheapest way to send money. I needed it to be simple, secure and, above all, very fast. Sometimes I had to go to money-transfer agencies, and that took a lot of time and energy. I was constantly worried about whether the money was actually reaching my family, and whether they could use it quickly to cover certain expenses.
“Giving my family a way to pay, with PayTrip cards they can use when they need them”
And how did you discover PayTrip? Has it changed the way you send money to your family?
I discovered PayTrip through a friend who was already using it to send money to his family. I immediately understood that it was perfect for me. I didn’t think you could order payment cards for your loved ones from a simple app. I sent PayTrip cards to my mother straight away. Now, in a few clicks, I transfer exactly the amount she needs and she can pay for her purchases in shops or online. My mother has health problems, and I don’t want her to go without medicine for lack of money. With PayTrip, I know when she needs money and I can see when she spends some at the pharmacy!
What, for you, are the main advantages of PayTrip compared with the other solutions you tried for sending money abroad?
At first, I only saw how simple it was to send money with PayTrip: no hidden fees, and transfers that are instant. But now I realise that the most important thing is giving my family a way to pay, with PayTrip cards they can use when they need them. The PayTrip transfer card is genuinely very useful. My family uses it to spend on websites and take advantage of certain promotions!
Thank you, Omar, for your story. We are proud to have helped you carry out your project, and well done for what you do for your family. You are a wonderful example to follow. See you soon!