I met two young graduates from two of our universities at a funeral one Saturday. They were in the company of my nephew, who had just finished his freshman year in the university, an Information Technology (IT) major. All three, very eloquent, appeared very bright also. I had to invite myself into a very interesting conversation they were having.
The young lady, Esther, was of the opinion that Ghana should be sold and each person given his/her share so each could decide what to do with it. The young man, Emmanuel, said he tells people he will be a millionaire, exporting Agricultural products, specifically, goats and other animals from his farm. My nephew, David, said he will start his own IT business when he completes school.
I wondered what had brought about this topic of conversation at a funeral. I was especially intrigued by Esther’s position which she repeated several times. Emmanuel then told me it was their reaction to something the Finance Minister had said about the Government being unable to support jobs for young people in the public sector.
After probing further, Esther said she also had plans to set up her own fashion business. She then drew our attention to what she was wearing, indicating that she had designed, and sewn it herself and will not depend on any government job. I was very impressed with her handiwork and also very delighted that she, along with Emmanuel and David, was thinking
entrepreneurial. I thought to myself then that if most young people started thinking this way, then Ghana’s future should be bright. After all, it is said that “entrepreneurs are the engine for growth” in the economy.
I encouraged them to get the best education on entrepreneurship that they could have– both formal and informal. To further encourage them, I quoted a Bible verse from Apostle Paul’s message to Timothy “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth”
2 Timothy 2:15 (NIV).
I want to focus on three important qualities from this verse of Scripture regarding whatever they decide to do. I tried to convey to them that as Christians they need to first seek God’s direction and approval in whatever endeavor they chose. The first of these qualities therefore is FAITH – faith in God and in themselves [particularly in their own abilities]. I am not advocating that they spend years going from prayer meeting to prayer
meeting “seeking God’s face”. Rather, I would suggest that as they identify the right projects, they start working, then commit every step into God’s hands, trusting Him to lead.
The second quality I believe they would need is PERSEVERANCE – they must continue no matter what anyone says. They should be proud of their vocation and freely announce their vision clearly to the world, and never be ASHAMED. Let me caution here that whatever the venture, it should not be pursued with the singular goal of making money, rather, it must bring them joy as they rise up every morning to attend to it. It
should be in pursuance of a goal to improve their society, and ultimately fulfil the plan of God for their lives.
The third quality they need as expressed in the verse is KNOW-HOW– knowledge of what to do and the ability to perform. Any venture they undertake must be based on knowledge they have acquired or are in the process of acquiring–formally or informally. This knowledge must be either experiential or from continuous research and education.
Starting a business is no easy task. One must keep in mind that poorly formulated business ideas, which focuses solely on financial gain without proper knowledge will eventually drain time, money and energy. It will eventually fail. However, a well thought-out business, based on the owner’s interests and passion, with a goal to solve problems or meet some needs, supported by the power of God will definitely survive. It may take long, but it will survive and beyond this, thrive.
Cudjoe Senyo Amenyah,
C.E.O.; MFR
MFR
Website: www.mfrgh.com
Email: info@mfrgh.com
Phone: +233 20 954-3512