One of my staff asked me why I decided to move to Africa and leave my job in the US when most reasonable people on this side of the world do the opposite.
This is a true and valid question. The economic environment is complex, the culture is different, and the balance of powers is sensitive because the government is not as wide as it is in other countries, and the addressable market is much (much) smaller, among other things. We came to Ghana in 2019 and settled when the currency was 3x stronger (3x = 300%). Now it seems like we are fighting against economic headwinds, trying to strengthen the economy with my fellow friends from the private sector, and my colleagues. Companies are fighting to pay salaries consistently at a good market rate, develop new products that are better, more resilient, and have a real benefit for the geographic zone we are in.
We live in an ecosystem that is as strong as its weakest link. The vulnerable members of society without a safety net need to be involved in a sustainable economic activity, and have a steady flow of transactions so that all actors and stakeholders of a community need to do their part.
We are human, we have human needs, and we are connected in making the place we live a better place.
I am trying to do the right thing, and doing it at scale. We are all trying to do the right thing and make a difference. I have not done it before, I don’t know too many people who did exactly what we did with my family, and most of the time I monitor trends and visualize what is possible to make decisions. I am full of flaws and insecurities, and I feel the need to be better every day for the wonderful and courageous people that live in my house, for the people that depend on me, for the team that I lead, for the place where I evolve. Trying to be true to myself, and to be a good person, most of the time.
Why this picture?
This picture is who I am. I care. I sincerely care for the people that I serve, at scale. First thing I did was to show the picture to my wife, and I told her, “Babe, it’s me. My identity, my good and bad decisions are here in a picture.” We are not building a product for ourselves; we are building a product for the rise of the middle class, and we get constant feedback from the world. This creates a healthy economic system where we can thrive as individuals, parents, workers, captains of industry, and citizens in a win-all-around process.
Maya Angelou said: “The truth is, no one of us can be free until everybody is free.”
Keep doing the small right things, and do it at scale. The world depends on it.