4 minute read
“ISKAASHATO MA KUFTO”
from IAA - African Icons
by IAmAshanti
Iskaashato ma ufto
“If people support each other they do not fall” - Somali Proverb
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by Relebogile Malaza
We’re all looking for an opportunity that feels life-changing to us. Whether you’re an entrepreneur embarking on your next business idea, looking for a big break, a new job opportunity, a scholarship, or to climb up the career ladder. The absence of opportunity hinders most people’s lives; some may even feel that the pandemic has reduced the opportunities available, while others think that the pandemic has created more opportunities in different markets. Therefore, my question to you is, what is an opportunity? Is it a place, luck, mindset, market gap, or just simple hard work?
According to the Oxford dictionary, opportunity “is a time or set circumstances that make it possible to do something. A chance at success, employment or promotion.” My personal belief is that opportunity is not something you can wait for with your arms wide open, waiting for it to fall on your lap. The irony of the law of life is that the big chance that may seem life-changing to you could be where you are right now. It may not knock or ask you to come to sit at the table, but instead, you have to figure out how to capitalise on something that seems “invisible”. Seems is a significant word in that sentence. When we’re trying to find our place in a room and receive a seat at the table waiting for an opportunity, our perspective can be clouded by what we lack rather than what potential for great things is around us. Hence why we’re here to remind you that you are your biggest asset and how you can become an asset in someone else’s life as well.
Opportunities are reciprocal; when we create opportunities for ourselves, we sow the seeds of potential for someone else. For example, if Multi-millionaire Peter Munga, the Founder of Equity Bank Limited, hadn’t taken the risk of starting his company with just KSh5,000 as starting capital. Equity Bank would not only cease to exist, but if he didn’t see that opportunity in the Kenyan market, he wouldn’t have changed his life and others. Today the company’s “philosophy is to transform the lives and livelihoods of people socially and economically by availing them modern, inclusive financial services that maximise their opportunities.” This serves as evidence that by seizing an opportunity, we create an environment for everyone to get a seat at the table.
We’re all after one common goal in a world where people live in different circumstances, some under the pressure of corrupt dictatorships, pessimistic mindset, lack of education, others living in indigence with a serious lack of opportunity to improve their situation. Thus, it is imperative to create opportunities for others when we do so for ourselves. By giving one person an opportunity, a voice at a table, we create the potential to uplift an entire underprivileged community. We provide so many people with a chance at a better life.
Therefore, here are a few tips for creating opportunities for others. Firstly, supporting other people who embark on their own respective career paths, even if it is not financially “word of mouth” or sharing their product/content, goes a long way. Secondly, share your knowledge. Thirdly, we often are reactionary people; we wait for someone to ask for help, although sometimes sharing and offering an opportunity they don’t see is genuinely what someone needs. Fourthly, give someone new a chance, two different people can complete the same tasks, but they will do so successfully in their unique ways.
Since opportunities are reciprocal, here are a few ways to create opportunities for yourself! Firstly, self-reflect and observe your surroundings. Invest in yourself; you are your biggest asset. Improve and acquire knowledge. Secondly, network! Surround yourself with the right people; you never know the impact someone could have on your life. Getting your name out there is potential for a new opportunity. Thirdly, don’t live within boundaries; the sky’s the limit; don’t limit yourself to your surroundings, resources or skill sets. Find ways to achieve and do more. Fourthly, the opportunities you create don’t have to be mind-blowing. Sometimes something in the market already needs to be improved and refined, and that’s the gap you fulfil. A simple improvement is capable of disrupting an industry! You’ve got this; never give up! In the words of Bobby Unser, “success is where preparation and opportunity meet”.
