Potien Niyonambaza’s job-seeking experience, an amazing lesson

One portion of this lesson is that as an employee, you have to impeccably value your job, how lowly paying it were. Another part of the lesson is that you should not continue wasting your time on fruitless job search or unfruitful endeavors. Instead, think differently to act differently. And if you are a company with business staggering, a lesson from Niyonambaza’s experiences to you is to attempt other ventures. “I regret extremely because of my time and resources I’ve lost in search for jobs. I could have climbed to the top of my business, if I’d not spent my little cash I earned on unproductive search for a job,” says this man living in Minazi Sector in Gakenke District, Rwanda’s North. ?

As this article will elucidate it later, this man has been far more rejected from jobs than one of the most successful entrepreneurs on this planet -Jack Ma. “I went for a job with the police; they said, 'you're no good. I even went to KFC when it came to my city. Twenty-four people went for the job. Twenty-three were accepted. I was the only guy,” Ma told Charlie Rose from Bloomberg, according to Business Insider.

On one hand this man bases his claim on his bitter life marked by long unemployment, among other things. The bitterness of his life has even induced him to commit suicide. It’s God’s miracle that has saved him. We’ll come back to this point in one of our next issues. On the other hand, his claim is grounded in his astonishing economic progress that awes his neighbors and parents. In fact, he’s a man surrounded with stunning life and history, as well as great agricultural knowledge and skills.

He requests every person not to disregard any job. He instead encourages them to work hard, and excellently perform any job they occupy. He predicates that it’s this principle that has enabled him to boost his business.

He’s a professional farmer. He owns one-hectare land in Nyabitare Village, Munyana Cell in the mentioned sector. He grows tree tomatoes, coffee, the banana crop, and raises 15 pigs of improved breeds on the land. He’s discovered the farming business is one of the most profitable businesses. He founds his observation on production from the crops and the pigs. For example, he states “The profit from a pig is at least 70% of expenses on it. From February to October2021, I earned 950 000 Rwandan francs (RWF) from the pigs, so the profit is more than 660 000RWF.” 1 US dollar is worth around1030RWF.

?He also grows the avocado crop of the HASS type. Integrating this avocado type with other crops doesn’t harm them, according to Niyonambaza. He completed secondary education in 2010 in the option of Agronomy.

He says he has applied for jobs for 41 times [41 jobs] in 2010 to 2016. He’d been absorbed by job application. “During that period I craved to find a job to the maximal extent, especially because I felt I possessed skills. I could acquire some money from casual works, yet I immediately expended it on looking for a job. For instance, when I’d just accumulated a certain amount like 50 000RWF, it was suddenly exhausted.”

“I remember one day in 2011, I went to Nyagatare District for a job exam, and while I was in the exam, they informed me of another exam in Bugesera District. Since I didn’t trust I could pass the Nyagatare test, I suddenly left it, and rushed to take a bus since I believed I could be successful in this Bugesera exam.”

He explains he was utterly surprised, while still heading to Bugesera. “Arriving in Gahanga in Kicukiro [Kigali City], I was told the exam had finished.” From Nyagatare to Gahanga in Kicukiro District, it’s more than 160 kilometers.

He adds he was then shocked, but not demoralized. “I got out of a bus, and sat on the upper side of a tarmacked road, and ruminated the situation in which I was stagnating. But I wasn’t discouraged either, I continued for applying as that time wasn’t like now when today job opportunities available are meant for bachelors’ degree holders. A job was advertised, you noticed it is for secondary education degree holders, and it impelled you to apply.”

Niyonambaza shares what used to upset him more. “There are my colleagues who immediately got jobs. [Always missing jobs] and thinking about how I am intelligent threw me into confusion. There are times you ended the exam, seeing you’ve really passed it, but you were eventually told you failed. My degree bears 23 /60 marks, and these scores are numerous; especially as I did the exams, ill. They even expected me to be the first nationally because I taught my colleagues.”

“For instance in the internship- what we call the course of practice- which counts the most in agronomy, I have grade B. You wouldn’t secure a degree, if you have failed it, even if you fully passed all other theory courses.” He adds that he’s not really known the illness, since ‘they [healthcare institutions] haven’t been able to detect it and finally faded out’. He additionally says he has however sat for all exams, but with difficulty.

A job he was running after doesn’t now exceed the monthly salary of a 100 000 Rwandan francs. He however points out that his current minimum income from his business is 250 000 RWF. He even sometimes reaches 350 000RWF. He underlines this is cash he gets, excluding the amount of expenses like food, and other household necessities.

?He has started his business with a very small piece of land. It was 15 meters wide and 20 ones long. He bought it at 180 000 RWF in 2013. In 2011-2013, he off-and-on obtained work from the VUP (Vision Umurenge Program). The VUP is an Integrated Local Development Program to accelerate Poverty Eradication, Rural Growth, and Social Protection in Rwanda. He was remunerated 45 000RWF per month for the work. He started gaining income from his business in 2016.

He maintains that cash he’s lavished on the unfruitful search for jobs is considerably more than the sum he’s paid for the land. “It doesn’t exist any district to which I’ve not applied for a job. From then, If I’d begun saving the cash and thinking about this farming business, instead of losing on job search, I could be now far.

?There wasn’t technology like today, your fellow told you that you aren’t on the list of those eligible for the exam, but you doubted. You told yourself ‘Perhaps they have not read carefully, or they are lying to me’, so let me go there to check it myself and know why they’ve not displayed my name.” “You could come from here to Butare for example, and there were times when you could reach a place to which you’ve applied for 3 times a day.” From Minazi to Butare it’s over 180 kilometers.

He adds that he couldn’t even know why he’d not been placed on the list, though it used to be one of the reasons to verify the list himself. “Getting there, you found you weren’t actually on the list, you lacked what to say, and then came back; especially because you could ask no one about it.”

Yet, he says that it has also constituted a great lesson for him. “I actually regret extremely, but it gives me a very significant lesson, it demonstrates to me more and more that I won’t go astray again in that way. I call it going astray, because I could have otherwise attained tremendous achievements.”

“To clarify it, let me use an objective I’ve set. In about three years from now, I need to have multiplied my production by ten times and without even changing the area of the land. I project to be then earning between 2 500 000RWF and 3 500 000RWF. You understand where I could be, if I’d capitalized on the nearly 7 or 8 years I’ve lost, pursuing jobs.”

He underscores that he will accomplish his objective; which he expresses in these words “There are people who think that a hectare is a small piece of land; a hectare being farmed is large. I’ve told you I’m going to plant 300 avocado trees, since I now have 56 ones. Though this land has other crops, it also possesses some other space where you can add others compatible with those which are already grown.” ?

“The avocado tree I and you have sampled to calculate its fruits, we’ve found it is carrying 150 avocados. Multiply the 150 avocados by 100RWF each, and then by 300 avocado trees I’ll plant, you’ll find the estimated production of this one crop alone.”

?Lesson 1: as an employee, be fond of your job

From Niyonambaza’s case, we can deduce that they are lucky, those who have jobs. And, it’s right. A person without a job can’t feel peaceful. They’re even sometimes insecure. It can sometimes cause them to think but mistakenly that they don’t get jobs because they’re not good enough or not loved. This point can’t consume us much time, since you also know problems you’re solved by your job. Don’t joke with it!

Those who hold lowly paying jobs can also and should be inspired by Niyonambaza. You’ve learned he’s undertaken his business with the insignificant means. Instead, work as hard as him, or even surpass him. Gracien Akinyanza is his father. He asserts his son is a hard-worker. “Eh, we’ve also been amazed at how he works! He works at night, dawn and day time. When you arrive at his home at 5am, you find he’s at work. When you return there at 7pm, you also find him still working.”

It’s this hard work that has yielded him this reputation and admiration expressed by his neighbor and farm worker respectively. “He possesses amazing economic advancement; each can learn a lot from him. Manifestly, he actually works!” says Jacqueline Uwazigira.

Beatrice Nyiransengimana says “His progress is astounding, because Potien is the only one in this sector on whom we rely to live, it’s he that maintains us, and we can achieve nothing without him. He gives us jobs, and takes care of us.” “Before [Niyonambaza’s farming], we purchased an edible banana cluster at 10 000RWF, but now with 5000 RWF or 4000RWF you buy it because there are cooperatives he has taught to cultivate the banana crop in the cutting-edge and skilful way, that we enjoy enough production.”

He bears some similarities with and differences from Ma. They both share rejections from all jobs requested for. Yet they differ on the number of the jobs. According to Business Insider, Ma has applied for 30 different jobs, and been rejected from all of them. Niyonambaza has applied for 41 ones, and rejected from all of them. Ma aged 57 established Alibaba, a Chinese multinational technology company, in 1998 when he was 34. It’s this Alibaba that has allowed him reach where he is now. Niyonambaza is now aged 37. He undertook the process of founding his farming business in 2013, but he stabilised it in 2016 when he was aged 31.

Ma and Niyonambaza are both ambitious. You’ve learnt Niyonambaza’s ambition to have increased his production tenfold in 3 years. Ma is not only a man of ambitions but also a teacher of ambition. According to Vulcan Post (https://vulcanpost.com) in 2014 he declared “Ambition is living a life of great ideals; a magnificent goal in life that must be realised. In this world, there are things that are deemed unfathomable, but there is nothing in this world that cannot be done. The depth of one’s ambition determines the potential of one’ future.”

They both share the extreme poverty of their families where they’ve been born. Ma’s family was so poor that it possessed no financial ability to pay him university fees. He failed an admission university exam twice. Yet, for the 3rd time he was lucky to be admitted to Hangzhou Teachers Institute. Niyonambaza's family has also been unable to find money for his school fees and equipment. He’s been supported by a charitable organization, to finish the secondary education.

?In fact, this man is amazing. ?He was once desperate to the extent of deciding to do the suicide. He was a street child for 9 months in Kigali City. He’s been much more rejected from jobs than MA. But only around 4 years after he stabilised his business, he succeeded in maintaining his family, and saving the amount. Is this common?

So, it can even be possible for you to embrace austerity measures to save a very little amount from your small job for you to engage in your own business. Everyone successful person has sacrifices they’ve first done. They include the austerity measures- you considerably reduce expenses, for you to save some cash. That’s how Niyonambaza has acted. Buy a rabbit or chicken every month, you’ll tell me a year after.

Yet, I agree that it sometimes happens you perform every endeavor in vain while others are prospering. For instance, you may decide to invest in rabbit or chicken farming, and at some time, a plague may erupt and kill them all. You may attempt other ventures in vain, till you run completely out of the capacity to attempt anything else. But then, you can’t blame yourself and no one can blame you. You have done what you had to. In such a case, wait; your time will come.

Lesson 2: do not continue spending your scare resources on unproductive things

First of all, we don’t discourage you to try business for quite a few times. All businesses are first allocated time and other resources. There is time necessary to assess whether they are viable or not.

We cannot accurately determine the number of times or years to test the business. But you need to be rational. Besides, information- from Freshbooks (www.freshbooks.com)- can help us to have a general idea. It says most small businesses take at least 2 to 3 years to be profitable and become truly successful. “Most small businesses take years to be successful, despite the overnight success of companies like Facebook.”

Forbes underlines that statistics show successful small businesses are built over years, not months. According to Freshbooks, the first year is generally flooded with startup struggles especially finance-related and small successes, you start reaping initial successes in the 2nd year, while your business can start breaking even or generating profit in the 3rd one. “That said, a fully profitable and sustainable business is probably another two to three years in the distance.” This timeframe matches the one Niyonambaza has waited, for him to start procuring some income. He began the process in 2013, acquiring the small land. He started obtaining the income in 2016.

Founded on this fact, we can infer that you’ve to channel all your efforts on your business for year 1. In the meantime, you actually see if it’s progressing or that it will progress. If you notice the opposite, the 2nd year represents the best time to ponder your business. And even the time before can show you the business is unviable. So, take a decision to engage in another business endeavor before it’s too late. Don’t continue conducting a business which is staggering. But don’t adopt an unwise decision. Take an informed and thorough decision you won’t regret. Even Niyonambaza had never thought farming could turn into a viable business for him.

By Jean Baptiste Ndabananiye

Experienced Journalist with a demonstrated history of working in the broadcast media industry and peace-building. Skilled in English and French, M&E, Media Production, Peace-building, Leadership, Marketing, Advocacy, and Kinyarwanda- English-French Translation. Strong media and communication professional with a Bachelor's and Master's focused in Journalism& Communication and MBA-Project Management respectively from University of Rwanda and Mount Kenya University.