Well, Perri... My heart aches when I saw my fellow countrymen/women earning from Medium, while I could not monetize it. Stripe account closed down on me, or rather the 'business' it claimed I am in (which is writing on medium) may pose a risk. What risk? I don't know. I don't know which part of the information in Stripe that I did not qualify to earn at least a little from Medium. It hurts while I do write as passion, I have no source of income yet since I returned from overseas.

Imagine serving in the govt for 10 years, I was not offered scholarship for further studies to do a university degree, I had to manage the dependencies (my family) with just a diploma 10 years ago (i was 20!) I wasnt promoted. I wasnt allowed to study due to lack of manpower and so on...I was demoralised. Is life about earning and providing to my parents and siblings only? Why was I born in the first place?

I left the govt service when my studies was going to be disrupted. yes, i took up part time certificate levels which took 5 years. I did not want to give up the studies. I could not get a job due to my race or rather companies will offer me very low salary with useless reasons all the time.

So writing on Medium means a lot to me if I can monetize it how little the money. It makes me feel at least there is another alternate source of income. I left to Yemen, a country of poverty and war torn in some areas, to live when I could not survive in my country with peanut pay. I came back hoping that my experience in humanitarian and co curriculum planning for schools as well as admin were useful enough only to get the same lame reasons.

The bosses in my country do not recognize my skills in Yemen. Do I eat grass? I asked myself that. Medium came at the time when things seems hopeful.

When I reached my 100th, I got enrolled in MPP. I earned 60 cents in 2 weeks. As my country do not have tax relations with US, my tax deduction would be more. But it gives me a joy and gratitude at that little amount, you see. After 2 weeks, Stripe closed my account. That was it.

I got demoralized again.

I understand where you are coming from in expressing the article. I got annoyed looking at many articles How to make XXXX dollars in Medium blah blah blah...

I want to make some money too. For coffee and perhaps to pay my handphone bill of $15 monthly, and wifi of $45 dollars. I could not even afford an insurance.I am reaching 40 soon where the industry today do not pay those above 40 years old pretty well. If I can earn something from Medium, at least I can breathe better.

It is upsetting me seeing my fellow countrymen and women earning with no issue using stripe. I don't know why I cant.

By the way, yes globetrotters is an interesting publication but perhaps it is new and nobody giving it attention to the highest peak. I wrote in digital journal too, and nobody seems to be reading at all. Because it is new. I have not submitted any article yet at the start of Jan 2022, to any pubs. I tested by self publishing. The reading wasn't that great too.

Anyway, thanks for reading my comment or rant. You gave an interesting view and I like it.