Dear reader, I love and appreciate you dearly. From my heart to you, I say thank you for sticking with this blog and for sharing as well. I do not take the gift of you for granted. To my honorable guests who have shared and are yet to share their stories, I honor you. A happy new month to you all🍾💓
Many of you are aware the brave series began in the year 2018. As I began publicity that year, the young man I am about to introduce to you was the very first person to message me, He said, “I have a story”. I was excited, I asked Him to send me His story and He did. I read it and my God, I shook, I began editing the work and for some reason, I just couldn’t finish no matter how hard I tried to. The story inspired me beyond words, however, I didn’t feel it was time to share it, a part of me said, God isn’t done yet. There’s more. I immediately messaged Him and told him to wait, perhaps to publicize this in a magazine or something 😺. I had no idea I would have a part 2 of the brave series like many of you know, but here we are today. The day I decided to launch it, I immediately sent him a message letting Him know, we are ready for you, the world is ready😸.
So, please, sit back, relax, and read the story of a legend in the maning. He is called,” Acolatse Mac-Abel”, a final year Accounting student at Central University, Ghana. Enjoy reading his bio as displayed below👍
” ‘Life’, they say, is not fair.
Is that really the case, here?
I would live you to judge that assertion.
This is a true-life story.
Follow me, as I take you through the journey of my life.
The main reason I share this is to motivate anyone who would read this piece. Note that name of certain locations would be withheld for personal and or security reasons. This is also a summary. I assure you, however, none of the stories is fabricated.
I was born in one of the most typical villages in the coastal areas of the Volta region in Ghana. My mum had 13 other siblings from the same mum. She herself has been a victim of child labor. My dad schooled in a francophone country and upon the demise of his dad when he was young, had to migrate to Ghana to join his grandmother.
I spent my childhood fishing and selling buffloafs which my mum used to make. Life in the village was nice until my dad said he does not want us to grow there and so, we should move to the big city so as to have a better education.
I started school and my dad, with only technical education in a francophone country could not secure a job here in Ghana. He then entered into jobs of masonry which is a hand to mouth job. With accommodation being so expensive, we resorted to staying in uncompleted buildings and wherever we could sleep.
As for hunger, it was our daily bread. We only eat once ⅞ days if we were lucky. After school, after walking long distance home, my little brother and I would walk around looking for money on the floor if someone had mistakenly dropped money and also look for anything edible. We sometimes go to eateries normally known as, “chop bar” in Ghana to take leftovers. This continued throughout my life in primary school and at a point, we stopped school completely. This was mainly because we were not stable at one location and my mum got extremely sick. She was hospitalized for over 2 years and during those years, my little brother and I would sleep under trees close to the hospital in the morning and then, go round to beg for food.
Each time we went to visit our mum in the hospital she would encourage us not to abandon Jesus Christ and believe that one day he would make everything great.
I didn’t really buy into that because if He really cared we wouldn’t be in that situation. I remember vividly, at a point, we slept under a tree that was close to the mortuary. That night I couldn’t feel comfortable, It was like people were walking around me and talking to me.
I kept hearing voices saying, ‘live a good life, live a good life, don’t envy, some others said: I wish I could come back but it’s too late’
I was so worried, I woke my junior brother up and reasoned to move somewhere else to sleep. I didn’t even realize it was almost morning as families were coming for their relatives who had passed on.
Hmm, the method they used to remove the ice from the corpse shows that humans are really ‘nothing’.
After two years of staying at the hospital, my mum was almost fine but the bills had run into thousands of cedis. My dad had no idea where to get that kind of money. So, we devised a plan and my mum had to run away from the hospital with her things still there.
We moved from one family member to another to help with accommodation.
One of them who was a pastor and had built his own house threw us out even when it was raining.
My dad was frustrated. He asked himself,’ What has he done to deserve all these ?’ And lamented over the early demise of his father.
I got back to basic school and was promoted as My father said the only way out of this life was education. So, I learned with all my strength. I would learn very hard that I would be ahead of the class and so I was jumped over (promoted) two classes.
My classmates laughed at me because on some occasions I slept in school till the next day even without bathing or brushing my teeth. Waking up to a bath for school was not a norm for me as we were not stable. We don’t carry a bucket around and we had only a few clothes.
There were instances I contemplated suicide. My Dad would tell my mum, ” let’s go kill ourselves so that our children would be in an orphanage home where they would be treated better”.
Primary school was really tough.
We heard good news then as the government had introduced a free meal policy. What great news. My mum would tell me, ” take the food, bring it home and share it with your junior brother”. My mum then started hawking doughnuts and after a while, we could at least buy food. However, we were sleeping at a bus station. So things got better, I wrote my Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and when the results came, I did well. We had got a wooden structure (kiosk) to rent, so life was getting better per our standards.
I didn’t really know what to do in life or what career to pursue; One day I was going to buy bread and I overhead the vendor asking someone for suggestions on what course her son should do at High school as He wanted to be an accountant.. and the person said, “business”. In my mind, I was like I would also do business hence why I studied accounting at the university.
My dad went to a local pastor, showed my result to him and he offered to pay my admission fee. That was one of the happiest days of my life. I went to school and the first day was rather not what I expected. We were all introducing ourselves and the teacher said that those from my area are not proper people. The teacher told the whole class to be careful of me as I would become recalcitrant in life; I am not going to go anywhere or achieve anything but smoke and rob. I was very sad and demoralized. Some teachers also said I looked like a monkey so I should go join my family in the forest.
Nevertheless, things started going a bit well and better as results from my school exams came and I did well. This made some teachers result in liking me while others chose to believe I was cheating in exams mainly because “I lived at a location where everyone there is deemed a bad person”. After a few mates got to know I didn’t live in a reputable house they started laughing at me and making jest of Me.
I slowly began to fall in love with music as it helped me forget all my troubles. The music teacher recognized my passion and offered to teach me how to play the piano.
One teacher in particular changed my life and mindset. She said to me, ” don’t mind them, put them to shame”. The words, “put them to shame”, motivated me. She also taught me to pray and as I prayed over and over with time, I felt God around me. Constantly, I would hear a voice saying, “I have not left you, I am with you”.
Things really changed in my third year of high school as my dad through some unusual way got a job; it’s a very long story but time wouldn’t permit me to write about it.
Moving on, We relocated into a single room and for the first time, we had electricity and could afford a television. Wow, I was like God you are wonderful. I thanked God all day and I still do. In school, I became popular because each time there was an award ceremony per term, I swoop lots of the awards.
Little did I know my popularity would let me become the head prefect of the school. Yes, I had a friend who bought the forms for me, filled it for me, and submitted it without my knowledge. I went for vetting very nervous. I even got sick because I was over scared. And yes, I won the head perfect position with a huge margin. I had 413 votes, the second had 369 votes and the third had 48 votes. That day the joy overwhelmed me so much, I cried all day. At some point, I thought it was a dream I would wake up from to realize everything was over.
Life was getting better and I began believing in myself and realizing my value.
One day my dad asked me to take some cement to a cite. On our way, the clouds began forming to rain and it had started drizzling. We were not even halfway into the journey. I don’t know what came over me, I just said, “Lord, please stop this rain. It’s going to bring financial loss to my house” and almost immediately, the sun was up. The truck driver was in disbelief but in my mind, I thanked God. This is when I started believing that there is God and Jesus is real. Prior to this, I used to pray without faith, I just prayed because I was instructed to.
I continued to grow spiritually in God and my Dad’s work grew In quantity and quality.
Now, I have moved from sleeping on cartons to sleeping on a bed so big, I don’t even know which side to lay on. I have enough clothes, I don’t know which one’s to wear.
I finally wrote Nov/Dec exams before writing WASSCE which is the final year exam for high school students. While printing my results the vendor commended my results and suggested I go to school as early as possible. As at the time I was printing the results, only Central University had its forms on the internet to download and fill. So I filled the form and I was admitted.
During my first few months at the university, I was star-struck. I couldn’t believe I had made it here. On the other hand of things, I had to be fasting and praying because I was fighting spiritual battles. Anytime, I got to the school, ” it gets dark and voices keep telling me our family doesn’t make it here, I am going too far”. But! I won all by the grace of God! I one day dreamt that my Aunties and Uncles said, “it’s okay, we can’t tie your destiny anymore, because it always brings fire to our kingdom, take it and leave us alone”.
I am telling you reading this that no matter your situation. Don’t think God has left you. Even when everything is against you, God is for you.
Now, I am not just about to graduate from any University but one of the most expensive and best in Ghana. I never dreamt I would be here one day. Now, the teachers who insulted me by saying I would be nothing in life are all ashamed, when I meet them in town, they dodge me. They can’t even look at me. I am now the CEO at Gemanbuilders, a company that operates in the informal sector providing Architectural and civil engineering services with plans of incorporation in a few years. Geman builders have taken up and completed several projects in Ghana including some high rise buildings in the capital.
I sit back, look back, and say if it hadn’t been God where would I have been.
God knows why we go through everything. Trust me, if I hadn’t gone through those experiences, I wouldn’t believe in God and, I wouldn’t be as wise as I am today”.
My God🙊.. Who read what I just read? I had goose bumps all over, my eyes filled with tears, oh, at a point, the level of my faith increased. What a good God we serve, what a good God you are. Thank you Jesus!! We have come back to say thank you. My heart is full.
Mac-Abel, your story isn’t over, May the Lord plant you on higher grounds. This is only the beginning. God elevate and establish you. Thank you for being here, we are grateful. My people, why don’t you show your appreciation and thoughts in the comment section. I am sure he would love to read them. Please don’t forget to like, share, and follow this blog for more.
God bless you for tuning in. See you next week by God’s Grace💓
Boye Paulina Sharon
6th July, 2020
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