“I was brought up in a confused and religious household. We lacked guidance and my father’s 10-year absence didn’t help. We had a fractured relationship where I held a lot of resentment and anger because he wasn’t consistently present. I never knew how to work through these feelings so when the chance to be with the older boys in my area arose, I jumped at it. I affiliated myself with gang members, committed robberies, and became extremely violent.

 

I was also introduced to pornography, it became an interest, then a hobby, and from a hobby to a habit.

 

It didn’t stop there. I needed the next level. I spent a total of £2,000 on swingers parties and brothels. I got to the point of researching how to pursue a career in the adult entertainment industry. My life was
a mess!

 

Due to sleeping around with married women, I was afraid of committing to relationships because I thought ‘this could also happen to me’. My mother brought me to the Universal Church at a young age, but I never took it seriously.

 

One day I was in one of the services and I heard the Pastor say “the destination of your life is in your hands.” And a person was sharing their story of how their life changed. I could relate because I was going through the exact same thing. There and then I realised my life could change. I let go of my lifestyle, but to let go of my bad habit was a fight. I did chains of prayer and took part in purposes of faith to be set free.

 

It was difficult to break free from  pornography. The prayers and purposes of faith gave me the strength to say, NO! And in time,
the urge just disappeared. That’s the best way I can describe it.

 

The services at the Universal Church challenged me to be a better man.
I saw myself changing from within. I was happy and at peace inside. The impossible concept of me ever tying the knot went right out the window in 2020, and I got married.”

 

Although his journey has been full of downsides and hardships, due to all his past experiences, today Alimamy is a happily married family-man. He has managed to turn his life around and is now enjoying the life he didn’t even know he could have.

 

“I’m happy to be married and to be a father. The key to my successful marriage is good communication and understanding each other’s perspective. When a disagreement arises, we calmly talk it through until we find a mutually beneficial solution.

 

We trust that as we do our part and work on ourselves as individuals, our marriage will remain a blessing.”

 

Alimamy Kanu