The wild thing about money problems is how you can have none one moment and have 8 of them the next. So you’re left holding on to the last contents of your bank account while owu blows you around violently.
Take today’s case study: a young man named Fola.
Folajimi graduated from the University of Lagos in October 2018 after studying computer science.
Knowing that it was going to be a while before he went for his NYSC (due to problems in the scheme), Fola decided that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to make some money during that time.
You see, a major reason he applied for computer science in the first place was because of his passion for graphic design. It didn’t take him long to realize that he wasn’t going to acquire the skills he needed in classrooms, so he turned to online video tutorials. 5 years later, with a couple of projects under his belt, he felt he had learned enough to rub shoulders with the best.
This was the confidence Fola used to apply for a high-paying graphics designer job at a creative agency in Lagos.
Fola’s first act after getting called for an interview was to walk around like a peacock wearing shoulder pads. Then he proceeded to freak out because 5 years of wearing jeans and t-shirts meant he didn’t own any job interview-appropriate clothing. So he borrowed some from his brother.
And boy, did he look the part.
Fola was informed immediately after the interview that he’d gotten the job and asked to start the following week. He was then asked if he had a personal computer he could use, seeing as he would be working remotely.
This was where things almost fell apart.
The laptop he owned was 5 years old and – though capable of decent graphics work – would surely explode if it attempted the level of design he’d be doing at the agency.
He told the interviewer that he had a computer he could use. This was one of those cases where telling the truth could ruin everything. What if they offered the job to someone else because they couldn’t be bothered with buying him one?
So, he decided that he would spend the next week raising money to buy a computer with the right specs needed for the work he would be doing.
This proved to be a lot more difficult than he expected.
“Uncle Dele, can you please lend me some money? Aunty Lara, nko? Hay God! Please help me give the phone to Wole? Hello Wole? Abeg you fit borrow…”
After 5 days of running around, Fola had raised about 60% of the money he needed. He had run out of friends and family members to borrow from. He thought of getting a loan from a bank to complete the money but decided against it because he’d heard terrifying stories about the things banks do to people who don’t pay back on time.
Then he found out about Branch from a friend and how they give loans of up to N200,000 without demanding your soul as collateral. He downloaded the app on his phone later and after signing up, he’d gotten a loan within minutes!
He was like:
“Damn! That was quick.”
And so it was that Fola bought the laptop the very next day and was able to start work on the day he was meant to.
Thanks to Branch.
