Throughout this year, I will not need to buy anything related to garri. I have another large plot where I’ve also planted cassava. The garri I’ve been eating at my house is from this land.
As I cultivate the land, sell the garri, and eat from it, the cost of the land gradually reduces. For example, if I save ₦200,000 from the garri produced here, that amount reduces the initial cost of the land. With time, the land becomes “free.” I never let the land remain idle; either I lease it to others to farm, or I cultivate it myself and produce things I can enjoy.
I started this journey with very little—dirty clothes, sometimes riding in the back of a Hilux truck or inside a wheelbarrow. People used to mock me for not dressing well. But look at me now. Everything I am wearing, from my cap to my shoes, was a gift.
Start where you are. Start with what you have. Start when you can. Start with the people you have around you. If you don’t give up on the very thing people mock you for, they will eventually give you those things as gifts. It is the person who has something to show for their efforts that receives more. It is the person who succeeds that builds a strong network. Don’t worry, just keep pressing forward toward the mark of a higher calling.
I remember when I used to carry cassava on my head, and my wife would be weeding the fields. The story has changed from this bush to me becoming a global citizen. At a recent event I attended, people from all over were taking pictures with me.
Start where you are. The God I serve will take you from where you are to where you are supposed to be. This is not just theology; it is reality. I have lived it. You were here with me in the beginning, and now you are here with me as my story has changed. So too, will I share your testimony.
God bless you.
I remain your friend, Dr. Charles Apoki.
