How I Slept on a Cybercafé Floor to Finish School
"I used to sleep on a cybercafé floor just to finish school, no mattress, no money, just stubborn hope & faith."
Let me give some context for Gen Zs. There used to be this booming business in the early 2000s until about maybe 2016, especially in Cameroon, before mobile phone penetration scaled. That business was the cybercafé.
Around 2011, I used to work in a cybercafé in Bamenda, and I mostly took the night shifts. I was not on any salary. The guy who owned the cybercafé did not need any extra worker, so I negotiated my way through. I told him I would work for free so I could have access to the internet because I was doing my undergraduate program through a distance learning program.
On top of that, I had computer repair skills. So, I struck a deal, I’d promote my services to customers with home computers, and they could call me for repairs. That’s how I planned to earn some money.
So, some nights, I would sleep on the floor of that cybercafé. At the time, internet speed was higher at night, so we had clients who would buy internet time from 10 p.m. till 5 a.m. That is why I had to sleep on the floor sometimes.
At that age of 21, I was broke, half starved and sleeping on the floor of cybercafe most nights just to finish my undergraduate. No mattress, no steady income, just stubborn faith and hopes that after my undergraduate life will be better.
Now? I advise executives across nations, I design curriculums for institutions, I help leaders build institutions that can compete across nations, I have travelled 20+ nations across 4 continents to speak, train and consult and more.
But back then, I was just a hungry boy living most at times on borrowed money.
That particular season of my life always play so fresh in my memories.
Seasons like that will reveal a lot to you and me.
a) Comfort is not a requirement for calling and destiny
Many wait for ideal conditions before building their lives and destinies. Destiny blueprints and capacity are often handed and developed in wilderness seasons. Ask Jesus Christ, ask Joseph, ask David etc.
b) Honor your obscurity
While others chased applause and reasons to impress others, build discipline in that season that will sustain you for life. That hidden season shaped my capacity and more. What I am saying is, do not resent your silence or your season of obscurity, use it to your advantage.
Reminder: Join Skills & Knowledge Monetization Academy cohort 3. Admission opens in the next few days. Join the admission waitlist. I only take 15 people.
https://chat.whatsapp.com/DL4xFWYLUZDEj53fxwmW1T
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c) Education isn't just academic
The cybercafe floor taught me resourcefulness, resilience, negotiation, survival, relationships and more. Lessons no university can match.
d) Experiences are your real destiny CV (resume)
Years later, I still reference that floor, that cybercafe experience, I still remember the fights etc. Not as trauma, but as my training ground. I learned a lot from the streets during that season. Put me anywhere, I will build.
That floor became part of my foundation.
Free download Skill to Value to Income Starter Pack:
https://stan.store/Joybert
Dr. Joybert Javnyuy
How I Slept on a Cybercafé Floor to Finish School
"I used to sleep on a cybercafé floor just to finish school, no mattress, no money, just stubborn hope & faith."
Let me give some context for Gen Zs. There used to be this booming business in the early 2000s until about maybe 2016, especially in Cameroon, before mobile phone penetration scaled. That business was the cybercafé.
Around 2011, I used to work in a cybercafé in Bamenda, and I mostly took the night shifts. I was not on any salary. The guy who owned the cybercafé did not need any extra worker, so I negotiated my way through. I told him I would work for free so I could have access to the internet because I was doing my undergraduate program through a distance learning program.
On top of that, I had computer repair skills. So, I struck a deal, I’d promote my services to customers with home computers, and they could call me for repairs. That’s how I planned to earn some money.
So, some nights, I would sleep on the floor of that cybercafé. At the time, internet speed was higher at night, so we had clients who would buy internet time from 10 p.m. till 5 a.m. That is why I had to sleep on the floor sometimes.
At that age of 21, I was broke, half starved and sleeping on the floor of cybercafe most nights just to finish my undergraduate. No mattress, no steady income, just stubborn faith and hopes that after my undergraduate life will be better.
Now? I advise executives across nations, I design curriculums for institutions, I help leaders build institutions that can compete across nations, I have travelled 20+ nations across 4 continents to speak, train and consult and more.
But back then, I was just a hungry boy living most at times on borrowed money.
That particular season of my life always play so fresh in my memories.
Seasons like that will reveal a lot to you and me.
a) Comfort is not a requirement for calling and destiny
Many wait for ideal conditions before building their lives and destinies. Destiny blueprints and capacity are often handed and developed in wilderness seasons. Ask Jesus Christ, ask Joseph, ask David etc.
b) Honor your obscurity
While others chased applause and reasons to impress others, build discipline in that season that will sustain you for life. That hidden season shaped my capacity and more. What I am saying is, do not resent your silence or your season of obscurity, use it to your advantage.
Reminder: Join Skills & Knowledge Monetization Academy cohort 3. Admission opens in the next few days. Join the admission waitlist. I only take 15 people. https://chat.whatsapp.com/DL4xFWYLUZDEj53fxwmW1T
Identify, Extract, Package, and Make Money Your Skills & Experience in 21 Days. Join now
c) Education isn't just academic
The cybercafe floor taught me resourcefulness, resilience, negotiation, survival, relationships and more. Lessons no university can match.
d) Experiences are your real destiny CV (resume)
Years later, I still reference that floor, that cybercafe experience, I still remember the fights etc. Not as trauma, but as my training ground. I learned a lot from the streets during that season. Put me anywhere, I will build.
That floor became part of my foundation.
Free download Skill to Value to Income Starter Pack: https://stan.store/Joybert
Dr. Joybert Javnyuy
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