First ticket cost $1,300
Shoaib's first plane ticket home to Uganda cost $1,300 — money he ultimately lost after misreading the departure time and missing the flight.
Where this was said
Optimism at the Gate: Planning to Go Home
At 2:08 · chapter starts 1:18
When Shoaib stepped out of the scam compound, he allowed himself to feel optimistic. His year-long contract was complete, and his plan was straightforward: get to the airport and fly home, just like he arrived. His one concern was an 11-month visa overstay, but his boss reassured him he would clear the fines and handle the paperwork. Trusting this promise, Shoaib spent $1,300 on a plane ticket — a significant sum given he had only about $3,600 in savings, the combined total of his earnings from his previous Kampala job and what little he was paid in Cambodia. It was a fragile plan, held together by a promise that would soon be broken.
Shoaib's savings: ~$3,600 total
Shoaib left the scam compound with roughly $3,600 — his entire savings from both his Kampala job and his time in Cambodia.
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