Discovering that I was theoretically capable of anything and that nothing could stop me made me increasingly enthusiastic and ambitious. I was happy and very grateful for everything the Lord was doing in my life, but I believed there was even better ahead and that it all depended on my vision and smart work. I decided to become financially free before finishing my studies.

When I was still in my Ghetto in Cameroon and my wealthy friends discovered my financial misery, I made a commitment to succeed both intellectually and financially. I viewed my life as a match played in two halves. I had lost the first half but was determined to win the second. As I pondered ways to become financially prosperous, I received a revelation that radically changed my life.

While sitting alone, deep in meditation during a break at university campus, I had a thought that explained that to become financially prosperous, I needed to change my perception of myself. According to this thought, I had to stop considering myself a student because defining myself as such limited me, unconsciously preventing me from investing and prospering in areas outside of my studies.

By considering myself a student, I indirectly confessed that everything that characterized most students applied to me and that everything the majority of students lacked could not be in my life. This thought explained that in the “student” category, there was no financial prosperity because students chose to postpone financial matters to later, particularly to the time when they would leave the “student” category at the end of their studies and enter the “employee” or “entrepreneur” category.

This thought advised me to step out of the “student” cage and not enter any other. It suggested that I should be free of any cage. Thus, I began to see myself as a human being capable of doing anything while following an academic course in the Faculty of Law. I was neither black nor white, neither African nor European. I was neither native nor foreign. I was a human being capable of anything without exception. I was now open to everything.

As I continued to indulge in this reflection, I received another thought explaining that the best time to create a significant financial base was during youth, during school or university training. I understood that many young students mistakenly think that it is at the end of their studies and when they have a paying job that they will have enough money to achieve their financial projects. The thought explained that, even if an employee has a higher income compared to a student, they do not have the saving capacities of a student.

An employee, no longer a student, generally has many fixed monthly financial obligations, including rent or mortgage for an apartment or house, car purchase and maintenance, various insurances and taxes, clothing, dining out, etc. In most cases, this employee is thinking of starting a family, which significantly increases their expenses.

It should also be noted that this employee is often financially solicited by friends and some family members in need. Despite relatively high incomes, the financial pressure surrounding the employee does not allow them to save. However, the ability to save is one of the prerequisites for financial prosperity.

Unlike most employees, a young student generally has no financial pressure; their fixed monthly expenses are very low. For example, they pay the rent for a small student room if they no longer live with their parents.

In addition to rent, the student needs to feed themselves and pay for transport. Students always benefit from preferential rates for most major expenses they must make, such as transport tickets, meals, and even rent. Students also benefit from numerous tax advantages. And finally, they are generally not financially solicited by friends and family; rather, in some cases, they receive financial support from friends and family members.

Thus, I realized that a young student who organizes to increase their income while studying can save large sums of money, enabling them to carry out significant financial projects such as acquiring real estate after a few years. The time young students spend partying and participating in various student club activities could simply be invested to increase their income through salaried work, entrepreneurship, or simply by seeking wealth-creating ideas.

Based on these revelations, I decided to increase my income and save a lot in order to make real estate acquisitions before the end of my university studies.

I decided to increase my income and save to buy a villa back home.

When I was convinced of the possibility of making significant financial achievements while studying, I thought about acquiring a villa to rent out.

One of the largest real estate companies in Cameroon called MAETUR had built a series of apartments and villas in past years. These homes, intended for the middle class, were built in residential areas a few kilometers from the downtown of the economic capital of Cameroon. MAETUR rented these homes to young professionals and flourishing young entrepreneurs.

MAETUR also offered tenants the possibility to buy the rented properties through simple purchase or rent-to-own. I knew that the sale price of a villa was around twenty million CFA francs, equivalent to about thirty thousand euros. I set myself the goal of acquiring a villa that I would then rent out for a monthly rent of two hundred thousand CFA francs, or three hundred euros. To reach my goals as soon as possible, I decided to work during my free time and limit my expenses to the bare minimum.

I started looking for work in hotels, restaurants, and cafes. I applied for jobs at the university restaurant as well as several other restaurants and cafes in the city. I also contacted a few friends and acquaintances working in these sectors and asked them to recommend me to their employers in case they needed extra labor. I also registered as a student job seeker with temp agencies, which act as intermediaries between employers and job seekers.

In less than three weeks of active job searching, I received a job offer for a hotel receptionist position during the weekends, specifically on Fridays and Saturdays from eleven pm to six am. I was also contacted by the manager of the university cafe who offered me to work a few hours per week based on my availability. I had to provide my availability at the beginning of each month, and he would schedule my shifts accordingly.

Thus, I spent my days between university classes, personal studies, and my job as a hotel receptionist. I had very little time to relax, unlike many other friends. My friends could afford to go out and party every weekend. They could travel and spend weekends with other friends, family, or acquaintances outside of Belgium. I forbade myself all these good things because of my financial goal. I knew that it was necessary to choose to pay the price of hard work and determination to…

This text is an excerpt from the book “FROM THE GHETTO TO THE BAR” written by Dominique MBOG.

We invite you to read the following article “Accused”.