When You Feel Like Giving Up.

I always tell myself, “Hey, remember why you started.”

Author: Iribagiza Patience

We always have a reason for doing something, but sometimes we don't. Sometimes we do it for our friends, parents, or our role model. Which is okay because we are still figuring out what’s best for us.

It may not be a good reason but it is.

When I was in high school, I always wanted to do something to help students learn more different things in all possible life aspects like a school talk show, sports, talent shows and brain challenging games.

Without forgetting to share my quotes with everyone who could write about their views on life.

I thought it would be of a big help to the future of young people.

Let me tell you this, it is really funny how our mind can even be challenging to ourselves.

On one hand we think and feel like we can do it, on another hand it feels bigger than us, and sometimes we think that someone else can do it better than us.

No matter what you think and tell yourself, you need to know that no one knows better what’s in you than you.

They can help you how to do it in a better way but they can't do what you could do.

After my high school, I went to a beauty contest for which I believed it was a platform where I can express my development ideas to the world and be able to work with those people that we share that goal.

I was pretty excited about it but the second I saw the first audition for which mine was the third, I hesitated to keep my candidacy in the contest. I felt it would be harder than I thought.

But ooh yes! I hung in tight to see if I would come through and never did I tell my friends about it before I audition.

This is one thing I learnt about achieving something.

When you know the reason why you want to achieve something, you should have courage no matter what.

If you are the kind of person who needs friends to push you, get those friends.

If you have to listen to a thousand speeches, do it. If you are the kind of a person who needs self talk do it. This is what happened to me. In order to achieve what I wanted, I had to listen to my inner self and encourage myself.

Some of my friends were against it; others didn’t care about it or even think I could contest.

All I was left with was my family. But even them, they hesitated too for the first time.

What gave me courage was to remember the reason why I needed to do it.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t crowned but I was among the top finalists, I had to celebrate.

However during the beauty contest, my project was about job creation for youth employment, something I was so passionate about.

And my next step was to implement my project. My fellow contestants and I expected assistance from the company that coordinates the contest and government institutions.

Many meetings were held on how we can implement our projects and in the process; I was linked with a young man who had responsibilities related to my project in the government institution.

I was so positive all things will work my way. Planned to reach out many schools and all possible youth centers and meet them to mention a few.

We got in touch, asked for an appointment and I met him in his office.

He advised me and promised to make a follow up.

As soon as we arranged that, different people got in charge of his position and all that was left was to link me with them too.

For which he did but they never responded to any of my emails or calls.

At first I was shocked and let down but as days went on, I picked up myself and tried thinking of other better ways to implementing my project.

There are days when we keep all our hopes in people and at the eleventh hour, we are disappointed. And when we are disappointed, we think there is nothing else to do besides letting go of what we had planned. We just decide to give up. We forget why we are doing what we are doing.

What do you do when your life project is shut down? Because that’s how we feel when we are disappointed in someone or something.

I always tell myself, “Hey, remember why you started.”

This easily reminds us indeed why, the reason why I should keep pushing. This is where we get more courage to make it happen.

After a year, I had already got a job as a front office manager at a small spa like seven minutes away from home.

I decided to resign and settle for all I wanted to do for the community.

I knew it is not going to be easy but I always said to myself, “If you really want this, be a risk taker” so, I did.

I am glad I didn’t have to worry about rent or food but I still had a lot to carter for myself as a mature girl at the age of twenty one the first born of my family.

First born kids always have a lot of responsibilities. I am telling you Hah!

Nevertheless, I was so ambitious and committed to achieving my goal of helping the society.

I decided to start a non-profit organization named Afro Ark that will empower women, youth and children concerning health, social and economic empowerment and human rights.

The process was not easy at all. Even brainstorming what the organization’s name was going to be was a hard task.

Today as an organization, we are doing a lot and we are planning more for the community in Rwanda to impact the world in general.

Maybe another thing I would just remind you is to, “Never give up.” You will never miss challenges and roadblocks, you may fail even more than once.

People will tell you not stress yourself over something bigger than you but as you go down this road, do not give up.