Unemployment among the youth is still a challenge, and so in an attempt to shed light on the issue, published author Anathole Dusengumuremyi has written a book giving ways young people can empower themselves and strengthen their financial status. 

The book titled ‘Becoming Your Own Money Machine’ was published this month. The author notes that he started writing the book in December last year after starting work with Rwanda Development Board (RDB) under the compliance office.

His position allows him to receive and make verifications of all annual returns from domestic and foreign companies. While at work, he says he discovered why the young generation in Rwanda isn’t as productive as they should be.

Dusengumuremyi explains that his question was always, "how do some people acquire luxurious lives or how does development happen so quickly?”

From observation and research, he noticed that people who get rich suddenly, offer services and products that the community requires or needs.

The author says that he realised that many youth lack a solid productivity recipe, which is why many of them offer zero services, and live deprived lives.

Dusengumuremyi says that these guidelines are within us but are not redefined practically, he, therefore, crafted two formulas; business growth and supply chain. He points out that with the above procedures, blended with university knowledge and skills, an individual can create many products on their own.

His book highlights that there is a possibility of making money and becoming a money machine if the youth produce products and services that are well connected to what the community needs.

Having an experience with vulnerable people, Dusengumuremyi has observed that the people who provide continuous help to the deprived are the ones keeping them in poverty, because they haven’t trained them to be products or service inventors.

There is a possibility of having more needy people if they are not given the right path and business literacy, Dusengumuremyi adds.

"Providing help once in a while is not bad, but we have to teach the needy people around us the potential to solve their own problems because we have the resources and information to create any kind of service demanded by the public. The problem is that we limit ourselves or want the easy life,” he says.

The writer says that anyone who isn’t a product or service developer is likely to collapse, as their ambitions will fail because the foundation is not well built.

He also says that young people today are a threat because they are not fully nurtured into a perpetual state of product and service expansion.

The author is of the view that a number of people have become slaves to their money without knowing because they get loans from the bank, and pay with interest. If that money is invested in a product or service, and resources that are supporting the community, they will bring back interest. 

Dusengumuremyi also notes that as long as people are willing to consume your services and products, there is a possibility of lessening unemployment and poverty.

He anticipates starting a financial literacy hub to assist the government in eradicating poverty. He believes that the hub will also equip young people with knowledge and skills to make money and be their own bosses.

This is currently his seventh book and others include "Better Idea Better Nation”, "Shame on you Africans not Africa”, and "New Me”, among others. The book goes for Rwf 10,000 per copy and can be accessed at Ikirezi Bookshop or Amazon.