Before and after the big win

With Rwanda on the way to achieving her 2020 goals, wealth seems to be flowing in our direction and investors are ready to throw some dollars around in many useless competitions that just go as far as the day of the competition. With all these chunks of money to waste, some university students were strategic enough to get into these competitions with their opponents being high school students of course. After winning, life totally changes for them. Last month, a group of four in my class won a competition of the kind. To start with, everyone must know that they got a huge money prize. I am talking Rwf 500,000; they won’t stop talking about it. For example when you are discussing a physics number that says, ‘A car is moving at 60km/h …..’ they will contradict and say, “No way, a car which costs Rwf 500,000 is moving at 60km/h …..” See what I mean? They immediately bought phones which cost almost half the money they got. Naturally, they bought second hand versions seeing as they don’t know where first hand gadgets are sold. They then proceeded to buy the largest Tupac Shakur t-shirts they could find in Nyamirambo and Timberland boots like we are still in 2001. The worst part is that they wanted to feel modern, so they bought pants-which isn’t a problem - the issue is that they bought green and red pants, and even worse, extremely tight ones. You won’t find them in the restaurants they used to go to. They immediately upgraded to restaurants we only refer to as VIP. The problem is that they have to run to the clinic immediately after because their stomachs aren’t used to such good food. They now hire a student to carry their laptop bags from class to class for Rwf 500. They have their clothes washed by someone else and sometimes even get someone to read notes to them as they listen. They even hire some boys to walk with them like they are in a gang. But after a couple of days, the money will say “goodbye” and all hell will break loose. Their girlfriends will want to go for a movie at Century Cinema, but when they think about it, they realise that the cinema doesn’t have plates to wash for people who fail to pay a bill because cash is paid up front. With all this in mind, defeat is not an option. So they will turn to the Campus Inspector as I always have a way out of things. I will buy their laptops and phones at desperate prices and get back to you. campusinspector@newtimes.co.rw

Lifestyle

Before and after the big win