Understand Your Financial Seasons

“…. Winter is coming, how prepared are you? Because after that the sun will shine again to give us hope to get out once more and do a lot more before another winter season…”

Life has its cycles and it is true that you have to go through them. It is written that there is seed and harvest time. There is night and day, rain and sunshine. To you my dear reader, you are probably getting out of one season and getting into another.

I have heard this statement countless times, “There is a time for everything.” Now let’s talk about financial seasons. We need to know how our economy runs, and one of the ways we can know is when there are a few disruptions to the norm of life, one of the clearest indicators is when the price of fuel is sky rocketing, this has an impact on almost everything we purchase. 

There is a time I lamented why I did not buy Sugar in bulk yet that is what we normally did, the price went up so high that making juice at home was becoming a night mare, however the wholesaler we always bought from gave us sugar at a discount, I told myself that, “it is good to plan ahead because of a lot of uncertainty.”

Joseph and Egypt’s Story

Pharaoh had a dream and it was about the 7 years of plenty and the 7 years of famine. While listening to James Abola, co-author of “Make Sense of Your Money” and “Money and Marriage” he said that with the wisdom God had given Joseph, he made a 14 year budget. That budget was to take into account the 7 years of famine as well as the 14 years of plenty. 

We all know from the story of Joseph, the wisdom to store 20% of grain did not only save Egypt but also his family and neighboring countries (Even when money couldn’t buy they were GIVEN, eventually putting resources a side also help us give and support the needy). The grain was not to be touched until the 7 years of famine was to start, every saving plan we have should have a clear goal or higher purpose.

The question is what do we do in times of plenty? There are people who feel like a budget will restrict their lifestyle and rob them of pleasure. People are normally encouraged to budget even for pleasure. When you start budgeting, it helps you PRIORITIZE, you stop spending life and start living. It takes wisdom to discern and envision the end from the beginning. I hope we can start doing these uncomfortable things (making a budget) so that we can we can create comfort tomorrow. You will realize that stress starts dropping because you have started planning.

So many of us have probably been in that time frame where everything else was going well, if you are the type who is in formal employment, sometimes you might think that this job will take care of me forever, forgetting that entrenchment can happen, a company can choose to downsize or even terminate your services or you can choose to resign and venture into your own business. Even as business people, plan, businesses have cycles, when things are going well and when they aren't.

James said that, “The biggest challenge is, we don’t plan enough in times of plenty.” He also said that, “In your time of plenty save, whenever you are earning that’s when you save.” He then cautioned us and said if God can plan, why shouldn’t we plan? He quoted Jeremiah 29:11 where God says, … “I know the plans I have for you, plans to……”.

Take a lesson from the ants

It has been said and written that Ants have no ruler, no leader, no council or government but they work together to gather in harvest because they know that winter is coming. Ants have a clear purpose of why they gather, if they don’t do so, they will die of hunger. Ants are a clear example of how we should handle our lives, with little strength and strength in their unity and numbers, they are one of the most productive creations of God.

The truth about life is this, hard times will come, a time when you don’t have enough, to avoid lack, we need to be as strategic as Joseph and the Ants. It is an act of faith. 

James mentioned in his sermon that hadn’t there been a boy with two fish and five loaves that he had saved, then how would have God multiplied what wasn’t there, the story basically tells us that God will use what is in our hands, it is written that he guarantees a blessing on our store houses. So what do you have in your hand to start whatever you want to do – ask yourself and examine and act?

My Story

I remember gathering coins that would be left after the purchase of an item or payment of a service. I happened to save close to 500,000 Ugx ($ 138), this money helped in many ways, this made my resolve to use the times of earning wisely and till to date, the principle of putting a side a proportion of my income from my salary or businesses I do, has helped greatly in everyday life.

There is a time at my workplace, something happened to my salary. For almost 2-3 months I was not getting paid yet others were, there was something wrong with my account details and it took time to get it sorted out, the coins I had been putting a side took my family and I through some of the tough days. I did not have to beg for anything because we also had other savings. 

We decided that we needed to also increase our income at that time and the same money helped us do a few things here and there. Around this time, I learnt the importance of building an emergency fund, this is good wisdom I learned from Dave Ramsey. He recommends starting with $ 1000 (UGX 3,600,000 'exchange Rate at the time of writing this article'). You can be helped in uncertain times when you take such simple acts seriously.

James’ Points to a good saving plan

1. Be wise and have discernment
2. Save proportion of your income
3. Save in a secure place
4. Have a Purpose

James concluded his talk by saying, “We don’t save because we are wasteful.” This reminds me of a scripture I have always shared, Proverbs 21:20 “The wise have wealth and luxury but fools spend whatever they get.” If Joseph did not take heed to the instructions of God concerning that dream, generations would have been killed, but I learn from this that one act of wisdom will not only save an individual but nations at large. Let us be wise in the way we handle the resources given to us by God.

#Impact #Empower #Transform

Attitude Towards Money And The Value Of Work Part 3

I used to think that money would come immediately because I had studied, got an upper second class degree. I thought I would apply for jobs and get them automatically because my papers were good. This wasn’t the case.

I walked the streets of Kampala applying for jobs, I even knocked on some doors and asked to start as a volunteer. Looking for a job became my job because our education system is simple but holds us captive, go to school, study hard, and get a job. The era we are in is a time where jobs are increasingly scarce because they aren’t being created. There is systemic poverty. Inflation is high and the economy isn’t doing as well as we all expect. It is a cause for an alarm because the gap between the rich and the poor is widening every day. However every nation will face hard times, we need an industrial revolution to be able to create jobs with the vast resources Africa has. We aren’t poor at all but we are poor in our minds.

We need not give up though because there is still hope and a lot of opportunities that are presented in the problems we face as families, communities, organization and the nation at large. Such a time demands serious innovation and creativity, it’s the time for more entrepreneurs to come out of their shelves and weather the storm of taxes and still do business and create jobs for many.

To cut the long story short on my employment journey, I happened to start out as an intern for 4 months even when I was done with University, from that time I learned so much from the various opportunities that I got. I volunteered for 6 months in an organization and I learned so much, I was given lunch every day as I did add value to the place. I still couldn’t get a formal job but with grit and not giving up I still got training opportunities that came with their own challenges but I kept pushing on and growing every day. As experience started coming in, confidence kicked in and the doors for jobs opened. But now I strongly believe we need both the formal and informal workforce, they can still be given training, vocational training is so important that they can create more jobs for our nation.

From the book Money Won’t Make You Rich by Dr. Sunday Adelaja, I have read some insights that have clearly spoken about my life up until now. There are things I was doing that have made more sense through the insights of this man, there is a strong biblical backing for what God tells us in his word.

1. Money doesn’t come to us because we are Christians - “The Bible says God gives us the power to make wealth. Notice that God doesn’t give wealth, He gives the power to get it. Unfortunately, many Christians are still hoping and thinking that just because they are Christians, God is obliged to give them wealth.” – Dr. Sunday Adelaja Deut. 8:18
2. Money doesn’t come to us because we are good, we have seen so many good people who aren’t doing well in this area, I personally have seen this happen in my life, and we have to be good but also work.
3. Money doesn’t come to us because we are educated, in my journey for hunting for a job after school, my education did not immediately get me a job.
4. Money doesn’t come to us because we have businesses, we have seen so many businesses come and go, it isn’t as easy as we think, and it takes diligence to run a business and the patience to reap from it over time. Some people have run fake business in order to earn, some of supplied fake goods in order to earn, some have exploited others in business by not even paying their workers and at the end of the day, they crumbling down.
5.  Money doesn’t come to us because we pray a lot but comes to those who pray for ideas to create wealth. I know that we can get a lot from praying to God, but the same bible is clear about time, a time to sleep, a time to work, a time to cry, mourn, etc, after we are done with prayer, we must engage in work, prayer should be so important that we don’t miss engaging in it to build our relationship with God but we only use it to create a list asking God for this and that and many times, a financial breakthrough is a major one, we should start praying to God for ideas to create wealth as well not only money.
6. Money doesn’t come to us because we are the best seed sowers or tithers or givers. We have seen people give and give and give and still remain the same, it is true for us to sow, but we need to be cautious and also led of the God to sow in the right place, when it comes to giving, don’t give to get because that is a wrong mentality, Give to be a blessing. We have seen many philanthropists giving away their wealth to charity, most times they don’t expect to be given back, they keep working to help better the world and better the lives of people. It is written in Mathew 23:23 NLT “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens but you ignore the more important aspects of the law, justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.”
7. Money doesn’t come to us because we claim it or covet it or steal it, or be corrupt – ill-gotten wealth dwindles away. “After naming and claiming, you need to show diligence in your work. You need to show the virtue of hard work. You need to display your dedication to the principle of the dignity of labor” – Dr. Sunday Adelaja
8. Money doesn’t come to us because we have a good credit history or asked for a bank loan. I once tried asking for a bank loan and my bank denied me, I even told them that I have good savings with you guys and this can be used as collateral. They said it wasn’t possible because they weren’t giving out loans at the time. The pressure to get a loan was coming from around me when the bank refused, I told myself, I will keep putting money aside to raise it and do what I needed to do with my wife. As I write I have never taken a bank loan. I believe the word of God is true from Deuteronomy 28:12, It says … you will lend to many nations, but you will never need to borrow from them. I am not saying I haven’t got money from friends and family, I have but not from the bank. I have had my fair share of borrowing here and there but you never get peace until someone is paid off, I rather have no debt except the debt of love.
9. Money won’t come to us because we keep quoting that the wealth of the wicked is ours, it can only be ours when we produce goods and services. This is what Dr. Sunday Adelaja had to say about wealth transfer that I strongly believe it is true. Someone like Paul in the bible did not only preach but he was also a tentmaker.

I have done fumigation business, sold yellow York eggs in exchange for money by meeting the needs of people. I have lent money at interest and also been given money for services of teaching that I do. I have earned from my ICT Skills by offering ICT services as well. I have done the transport business (Uber) and private transport services and I have made money as well. When you offer a service people need, you get value for money.

• The wealth of the world will only come to you if you are good enough in what you do, because the Israelites were good at what they did in Egypt before the wealth of Egypt came to them
• Secondly, the wealth of the world will only come to you if you produce better products than your competitors, that is when you are a good representative of the Kingdom of God and God will honor you for that
• Thirdly, for any wealth to come to you, you must be busy producing either goods or rendering services. If you are only claiming promises, you will end up being disappointed at the end of the day.
• For Christians to begin to enjoy the blessings of prosperity and wealth, it is high time for churches to begin to teach and educate their members, not just on how to give and sow seeds, but also in how to produce goods and services. There is no prosperity without goods or services.

The real reason behind poverty is not because of our backgrounds, not because of our environment,

“The real reason behind poverty is THE IGNORANCE OF THE LAWS OF MONEY.  It is that ignorance that later leads to a lack of discovery, it leads to a lack of productivity, it leads to a lack of sales, it leads to a lack of opportunities, it leads to a lack of services, etc.”

– Dr. Sunday Adelaja

The first place to be wealthy is in your mind, not your pocket. That means that even when you start making money and accumulating wealth, it can always be made even when you have a setback because you know what brings in money and what takes it out. We can kill the poverty of the mind by investing in our minds, through reading and study, remember “my people perish because of the lack of knowledge – Hosea 4:6”.

One of the laws of money that I have painfully learned to apply and discipline my wife and myself with has been the principle of saving, and not saving to consume but saving to invest. We have seen this work based on the stories of the Ants in Proverbs 6 (they have no leader but gather in summer for winter) and The Story of Joseph in Genesis 41, after interpreting the dream of Potiphar about the 7 Lin cattle and 7 healthy (fat cattle), he interpreted this by saying as God gave him insight that there would be 7 years of famine and 7 years of harvest. 

The question I normally would ask anyone is, “what do you do when you are earning?” Everyone has earning seasons and a dry time where the business isn’t going on well or winter season where there is not much farm productivity. What we do when we earn can enable us to secure the future not only for ourselves but also for our very own households and the world at large. Egypt was saved during the 7 years of famine but so was Joseph's family and the neighboring countries. The 1/5 of grain or 20% given to Potiphar sets a benchmark on how we can also plan the finances that come to us. God gives us the wisdom to create systems that will not only enrich us but act as a safety net for many people or generations. Let us be wise in our dealings and be prepared, Jesus Christ said that before you build a house, count the cost, it is important to PLAN and then commit the plans to God.

  #Transform #Impact #Empower

Attitude Towards Money And The Value Of Work Part 2

I remember asking my father. Daddy, “Give me some money”, his response “Money isn’t just picked like leaves from trees” 

There are a few insights I have picked up as I steadily run this marathon. Dave Ramsey teaches and says Personal finance is 80% behavior and 20% head knowledge. Our lives strongly dictate how we use money. Benjamin Franklin said, “If you want to think of being wealthy, think of saving as well”. He also said, “Beware of little expenses, a small lick can sink a great ship” Are you the type that is controlled by money, are you the type who gets money and yields to its instruction there and then, and are you the type who doesn’t understand that there are laws that govern money. Listen while we continue to explore a few things.

Money isn’t grown on trees

Money isn’t grown on trees, it is worked for, money doesn’t come by claiming, it comes by working for it, even the money that is given to you by someone is money that was worked for, it is God who touches the hearts of men to give out of their possessions. When one starts working, you end up understanding that money doesn’t come as easy as we think, I understand when we ask our parents for money and they say, they don’t have it, it was until I started making my own and seen days where it wasn’t actually there. I remember asking my mother to pay for my driving school, I told her, “mum I need to learn how to drive and to have a passport” her response, “let us get a passport first then you can learn to drive later”.

I wanted everything at a go but wanted to learn to drive first because she had a car and I wanted to learn how to drive. We pushed for the passport and got it and then the demand for the driving school kept coming in but there were no results. At the time I was interning and I had already learnt a saving culture and I was putting my little allowances from the internship to use. I decided to pay for myself, I realized that some things won’t be done for me, so I needed to work for them. My driving skill has become handy over the years and it has taught me that some things come when we have actionable plans in place. Putting little finances a side after doing my research made it possible for me to achieve this.

God owns it all

All silver and gold belongs to God, he created money so it shouldn’t be made a god because it is part of God’s creation. It is a good servant but a poor master. Never let money master you, you must master it by understanding the laws that govern money. It is written that the earth is the Lords and the fullness thereof, whatever God has created is his, every innovation, and every idea cannot be without the supernatural wisdom of God. When you look at what is within your stewardship, know very well that God has given you to take care and have dominion over those things, what you possess that God has given is his. Our work place, our positions of leadership are all the architect of God. Even queen Sheba told Solomon that the throne he was sitting on is God’s throne.

Money isn’t bad, it is our love for money that is bad

Money is so important we need it but it shouldn’t be loved. The love of money is the root of all evil. So money isn’t bad, what is bad is when you love it more than God, when you trust it more than God, when you say you can’t live with it – Money has never given man breath, it is God who has breathed in us the breath of life. Money is only a medium of exchange – we use money to get goods, pay for services, pay our taxes, support the needy etc. When greed comes in know that the force or spirit of mammon has taken over you. You cannot serve both God and money, where your heart is where your treasure is. Money should be the byproduct of our work and the services we give, it shouldn’t be our goal in life.

What makes us rich and wealthy is our values and the work we put in

There are so many people who are rich but have reduced their riches to how fat their bank account is. We must be rich in a wholesome way and that includes our values system – the things we stand for. Some of the poorest people on earth are those who have a lot of money, whenever they talk, money seems to be the only thing they live for, others are just surviving, living from pay check to pay check, others their lives are taken up by their possessions yet God says that the life of a man doesn’t consist in his possessions. We are as poor as our next door neighbor if they can’t feed, we are as poor as our very own people (parent, sister, brother etc) whom we can’t help, we are as poor as our community if we are the only ones doing well and they aren’t – it is a process for everyone but we can lift each other by sharing ideas not necessarily money, money should come when it’s needed not wanted. 

The true religion is when we care for the widows, the sick, the poor, the needy, the oppressed, those facing injustice, these issues are the weightier matters that we as individuals, family members, and community leaders should embody so that the needs of those around can be met and that they can be lifted up so that with hope, they can life others too.

I have seen great development from community groups where people do cash rounds to enable each one develop, as institutions and families and organizations these approaches need to be embraced more, when one person develops, they could develop others, gone should be the days where we only look at one person to meet the need of everyone, everyone should take responsibility in building up one another. The greatest financial security should come from our families, social networks etc but the family should be core.

Build Intellectual, social and skills capital

Some of the richest men in the bible like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob were not just men who had a heritage or that their lives were already predetermined, these men worked, then men used their faith, they did not only profess or believe in the promise of God, their belief made them work, they did not sit back doing nothing. A man like Jacob came with nothing but left with something, he did not have money at the start but he offered his skills as a service and left a loaded man, some people here will say that all we need is capital, I guess I will say first start with intellectual capital, skills capital and then go to money.

To be continued to part 3

Attitude Towards Money And The Value Of Work Part 1

I grew up in a modest and humble home. My parents were civil servants at the time and they did whatever it took to make sure we had a reasonable lifestyle. I was told that my mother run a kiosk and sold charcoal.

When I was of understanding age, my mother reared chicken for sale and my siblings and I helped in slaughtering and cleaning these chicken early morning as they needed to be transported to the restaurants/hotels my mother was supplying. We benefited from the gizzards and liver and that was our payment.

In my primary, my mother also run a saloon. I believe all these extra jobs or work she was doing was to create passive income or increase their meager earnings to better the situation at home and also help educate us. I strongly see the work ethic and their attitude towards money was important, if they did not increase their income, we would go hungry and we also wouldn’t be educated. If money isn’t increased it diminishes. The parable of the talents shows us how we need to be faithful with our income/talents/gifts etc and how we need to increase it, the one with one talent did not invest it, he just buried it in the ground and he was called a wicked servant.

While in my S.6 vacation, I badly needed money and decided to do a few data entry jobs but these did not last. My friends and I at the time decided to be part of a building project and we were paid as porters. The needs in our life at the time pushed us to come out of watching films the whole day and put in a few hours to do some work because, at that age, money stopped flowing in every day as our parents started looking at us as young men who were becoming adults and needed to start managing their own lives. If you needed airtime to talk to your girlfriend, you had to find a way of working for it and not stealing. I have learned over time that work is valuable and whoever doesn’t work actually goes hungry.

I was talking to a young a man at a construction site and I asked him why he had to work, he said, “I came to Kampala without my mum or dad, I am here alone, If I don’t work, I won’t eat, I also have to save some money and send it to my mum so that I can prepare for my return, I have a cow and chicken that she is keeping for me, I might look foolish doing this work but I know what I am doing”. I was so pleased with his attitude, such people can develop others with such an attitude.

Our motive for making money should be with a clear purpose, my love for money made me do a few crazy things, I loved playing a game called pool, it is a very addictive game, I found myself finishing the little money I would ask for in playing a game that only brought self-gratification after winning, If I lost it made me appeal and that was more money spent. It also brought me to a point in my life where I started selling empty soda bottles or beer bottles to make money to go and spend. This worsened with time as I liked nightclubbing (this was something I did quietly), I would concoct all kinds of stories or sell more bottles just to look for money to go have the pleasure which would only last for a night and The next day I would be back to zero. 

A few times I dipped my hands in my mother’s bag (I know she will read this but am now a good boy/man helping others) to pick a few shillings to enrich my lifestyle. It is written in Proverbs 21:20 NLT “The wise have wealth and luxury but fools spend whatever they get”. I was a big fool just as the proverbs can tell. When you don’t have a spending plan, the money will be wasted and you end up having a lot of regrets coupled with anxiety, depression, etc. Don’t waste your life with things that won’t add value to you, they are a waste of time, money, and other resources.

When we study the nations that have developed, we realize strongly that their work ethic has been an important factor, the work ethic of individuals, family heads, and community leaders. No nation, society, community can develop when it’s people are lazy. The responsibility of having children and fending for them is one of the toughest jobs ever. But it is one of the ways of developing and building people up and in turn, nations are built.

Psalm 19:7 NLT the instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul, the decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. May God's word transform you as you get renewed in your mind.

If the word of God is true, then we must understand a few things about money and the value of work, work is talked about in the bible, the first Job Adam had was to till the garden.

The bible says that “Now no shrub of the field was yet in the earth, and no plant of the field had yet sprouted” because there were two things that could not allow plants or shrubs to grow. 

1. No rain 

2. No Man to attend to (cultivate) it.

This is the account of Genesis 2:15

It is written “Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it."

This helps us understand that Work is profitable

Proverbs 14:23– “In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.”

When we read the story of creation, it gives us a picture of how valuable man is to the things that God has created. He gave man dominion over all his creation.

We are created to work, there should be no place for laziness. When we diligently work, we reap the rewards as well. It is also written in Proverbs 12:11– “Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense.”

Dave Ramsey says that the only way to beat being broke is by going to WORK, work isn't necessarily only a JOB, we have been blessed with so much potential and we only need to come out and do something. It is also written in Ecclesiastes 9:10 "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom." So work is for this earth where we are in, it won’t happen in the grave, we can only transform our families and nation when we still have breath that God has given us. I reiterate what the above scripture says, “WHATEVER YOUR HAND FINDS TO DO” just do it, have you found what to do, look deep within, look around, provide services, solve problems, etc Proverbs 13:11 NIV “Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow” in gathering (we are working and it’s an opportunity to make money the right way)

The bible teaches me that God will bless the works of our hands. It doesn’t say that he will bless the complaints and excuses of our mouths.

“Hard work is always profitable in some way, it builds your character, your bank account, and your reputation. But when you’re one of those people who always make plans but never actually do anything about them, you will never succeed”

– Jason Cabler

So let’s not ignore work, we are God's workmanship created to do good works. You reap what you sow, if it is laziness, then there will be no fruit. Hard work beats talent if talent doesn’t work hard enough.

To be continued… to part 2

I Was An Intern But I Was Loaning Money To Salary Earners

While growing up, money seemed to be one of the scarcest commodities.  Because of scarcity, people have had to become innovative and creative to be able to come out of the trap of poverty. When a young man starts thinking of money, in one way or another it is pointing to the fact that this medium of exchange is important and that he needs it to do a few things. From the clothes we put on, to the water we drink and the bills we pay, it all has something to do with money.

While growing up, I was good at making “WIRE CARS”, these are cars made out of wires. One day a primary school friend of mine wanted one of my cars so badly, and because I envisioned some nice doughnuts I loved to eat, I told my friend, he could buy it at 500 Ugx (current dollar rate it’s $ 0.14). That was a turning point in my life, I learnt how to offer a service or create a product that would have value for money. The only problem was that I saw an opportunity to have money to consume.

While having a chat with a young man I highly respect, I picked a few lines from our chat that informs this article am writing. Jonan Kwandwanaho is a man on a mission, a Christian with a golden heart and with an eye for business.

Paraphrased Narration from Jonan. He told me Arthur, “I was interning in a place for 6 months and I realized how broke people were towards the end of the month (this is a case of having more month at the end of the money), one day this guy approaches me and asks for 100,000 ugx ($ 28.5) "I am broke", he said. Can you help me with 100 k, I have no fuel and my car is even parked at home. he said that their salary had been delayed and that it would be paid in three days’ time. In my wisdom I told him, I can get you the money but you can add some little on top of it at just 15% interest.” To that guy it was a heavy bail out and three days wasn't far, a problem was solved and money was made by Jonan, How smart!

He said that, “I made my money while on campus from selling gadgets like Sub-woofers and other electronic accessories”. It was from this money that I was able to lend to a salary earner and that’s how I started a small money lending business.

There are so many people out there who are waiting on money to fall from heaven. They claim it and call it and indeed it comes but from Jonan’s story we can see that money is actually found in opportunities but when such opportunities come, we need to know how to offer services or provide a solution to a need. Many enterprises have been born out of struggles or challenges that have been presented by Society. God provides and he does it in many ways and one of them through tending to our fields, preparing the grounds for the planting season and harvesting to provide food for all.

Jonan did get a job at the same place he was interning, from his first client who told others that he could sort them out when they were financially challenged, he quickly became a referral for financial help which came at an interest, he started making money by loaning it out. But while working, God put it upon his heart to start a small SACCO within his working team and he realized that as much as he would make money, it was better off helping people realize that they could work together and empower one another instead of him just enriching himself. They formed the SACCO and started putting money together, colleagues started borrowing money from their group and people started getting financially empowered and so did they start developing.

Arthur, he said “I heard you talk about Uber and how you did that work, you inspired me and woke me up, As I speak with you today, I am already doing this business and everyday my head is thinking of how I can do things that will enable me do the work of God at the highest level”. My story on Uber came about as a result of my work place being closed indefinitely (however, it opened after two months), Instead of sitting back doing nothing and whining about how there isn’t money, I decided to use our family car to register and transport people around, the money took care of many things in the home. My wife said, “I have realized in this period of no job that you can take care of us.” The word job and work are synonymous, it’s just that some just don’t have degrees or certificates. Money can be made the right way, it doesn’t have to be stolen. 

Proverbs 13:11 NIV “Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow” so don’t despise that job or work or side hustle you do, it’s an opportunity to build yourself and others up.   

This is a story that should inspire all of us, sometimes we wait to make big money so that we can start influencing yet all it takes for us is to start where we are with what we have, the ideas God gives us can enable us not only transform our lives but also the lives of others.

You Don’t Have a Disadvantaged Brain

Photo by Siora Photography on Unsplash

You might have a had a disadvantaged background but you don’t have a disadvantaged brain” – Vusi Thembekwayo

I happened to watch a video and the man Vusi was talking and he made the above statement, that statement triggered something in my mind. I looked back at the times I have blamed my background or some of the hard circumstances my family went through for not pushing myself in life. I have many times said that if I had parents like this or that then maybe I would not be where I am, I could be in a better place or have a better job or just have better connections.

They gave us an Education

When I look back, I now appreciate that we all have to value work, we need to work hard and use what God has blessed us with. Many times I tell people that my dad did not leave us with acres of land or property except the house that he and mum built which we are really grateful for. He passed away in 2001 while we were still young in our education and if it wasn’t for the grace of God and resilience of my mother and the prayers and support of friends and relatives, I don’t think we would be where we are. She did whatever she could to educate us.

Our parents give their all to educate us and sometimes the sacrifices are so painful. I have seen with my own eyes what my parents had to do. I no longer dwell on what my background was, whether I wasn’t given all the other things I wanted. Indeed I agree with Vusi, that no one has a disadvantaged brain. I now realize, the greatest gift my parents gave me was an EDUCATION. My task is to put what I have been educated with to work.

Excuses

I shouldn’t have an excuse as much as there are many things to hang excuses on like the economic times, the high rate of unemployment, failure to be connected, jobs aren’t paying well especially for different levels of education. Some people sit back waiting to be told what to do, education comes in both the formal and informal way but many people suspend their brains and hold on to the confession that the government will do everything for them. 

We have to put our brains to work, we need to build intellectual capital and use it in every field and every opportunity. Some people have shunned work, they have refused to get their hands dirty because they say that their degree can’t allow them to get into the trenches, that it can’t allow them to roll up their sleeves and do things that can bring food to their table, that it can’t allow them to open up shops for wholesale and retail trading, that there is no market for this and that, that the piece of land is too far, that there is no development here, that my innovation can’t do much etc.

My Few Experiences

After university, I happened to intern with a big organization for 6 months and I really am grateful for the experience I had. I expected to be taken on and that did not happen as expected. I was given a stipend (allowance) but that stopped the moment my contract wasn’t renewed.

I worked in a store (warehouse) sorting books every day for about a month, I was paid $ 1.4 or 5000 ugx per day, this experience humbled me, instead of sitting home watching series after series, I then decided I needed to get myself busy. Doing that job was a temporary vehicle for me but I learned vital character traits and the value of working hard. Money isn’t just given, it is earned. My father used to tell me that money is not plucked from trees. When I used to ask them for money, I used to think that money was ever there until I started making my own.

I ended up volunteering with an organization that taught me vital skills that I use today until I got another opportunity to intern again for one year and a half. My boss at the time told me these words, “Arthur you can’t keep interning, If you want to grow, you need to leave this place.” I started applying for other jobs and indeed doors opened. When my boss spoke, that is when my brain opened because I was getting comfortable with the weekly allowance and travel allowances. I remember saving up most of the monies and up to now, I regret my first mistake of using my hard-earned savings to buy a car, there could have been a better investment to do, however, today – the lessons learned are a vital part of my everyday life.

Don’t Shun Work, Study and Read 

I just want to encourage anyone reading this article, not to shun work but to use their brains to learn as much and apply the knowledge to do things that can lift them and others up, studying is not only done in the university, the greatest investment anyone can give themselves is to invest in their minds, read about what you are passionate about, search knowledge of different topics. I love this statement said by one of my friends Benjamin Tumukunde, “I want to be well studied and well-read”.

We need to learn and stop blaming our background as much as it has played a part. Use what God has given you, Jacob worked for Laban for 14 years, I know that he went to his place with nothing but he left a loaded man. God has given us brains and our minds need constant renewing through learning and exposure.

When Ben Carson talked about his story, this is what he said, “I would like people to recognize in looking at my story that the person who has the most to do with what happens to you is you. It’s not the environment, it’s not the other people who were there trying to help you or trying to stop you. It’s what you decide to do and how much effort you put behind it.”

#Transform #Impact #Empower

The Book That Has Shaped Me In The Simplest Way Possible

Looking for a book on financial matters, I personally recommend Make Sense Of Your Money By James Abola and Phillip Karugaba

This book has been a cornerstone to some of the things I have seen greatly happen in my life, it woke me up from slumber, In addition to having read the richest man in Babylon, there is one thing that I needed to do and that was and continues to be #ImplementThePrinciples

The book only goes for 20,000 Ugx, you can contact James Abola directly or go to Aristoc book store. Those who would want to get it on amazon, see this link https://www.amazon.com/Make-Sense-Your-Money-o…/…/B00JGJKVZ0

In one of the reviews on line, this is what Joseph Ronald Kasozi said, "This is a such a good read on making your money grow and work for you and even keep it ! .
The authors have given practical money tools for winning in life . Lets hope they can write more books along this line ."

He has also written one on Money and Marriage, I am yet to get this one as well, as families we need to win in this area of finances to enable us build a support cast and give back to the work of God in many ways starting with the family itself and the nation at large. With time I will share some of the testimonies as regards the truths written in there. Just go grab your own copy, let it be one of those books on your shelf or right besides your bed.

#Impact #Empower #Transform