Less than a month ago, I wrote about Salifou Moumouni, a friend I have here in Benin, when he got married. Below is a photo we took about 2 weeks ago, after he’d returned from Parakou, where the wedding took place.
It was taken on the 8th September 2015, in the mobile phone shop he manages here in Cotonou. I actually stopped over on my way back to Lagos (having only just arrived the night before!) due to the sudden demise of my laptop charger.
The second photo below, was taken just 2 hours ago, this afternoon (Saturday 12th September 2015) in front of the BenAfrique transport company’s bus park, close to Etoile Rouge, here in Cotonou.
The young man with me in the photo is Boco Mahousé – also a Beninese citizen.
He was one of those I shared a room with back in Calavi, during my first 3 months in Benin Republic, before I later found and rented a room back in Cotonou.
While we were together, he proved himself to be very consistent in character. We met today, for the first time since I left Calavi in 2013. He’d ridden down on his motor bike from Bohicon, to see me.
After a meal and conversations about our plans, we’ve agreed that I’ll be going down to visit him at home hopefully in the coming week, to explore an alternative strategy I’ve settled on regarding relocating my family, and starting a farm based business with my kids.
Now, here’s the main reason – apart from appreciating him – that I’m sharing this bit of news about Mahousé…
You see, he can barely say more than a few greetings in English. But he speaks smart French.
In fact, he has an accent and grammer comprehension of the language, that I consider superior to that of his peers out here.
As a result, if I could not speak the language proficiently, I would NEVER have been able to have the quality of conversation I had with him today.
More importantly, I would NOT have been able to tap from his wealth of knowledge and insights about possibilities, regarding the plans I have in mind.
My point?
It’s that anyone who wants to EXPAND the world of opportunities available to him/her needs to identify and diligently LEARN a foreign language
Back in 1999, I decided French was that language for me, based on the vision I had of becoming a Pan African solutions provider.
Today, the ability to read, write and speak French continues to attract wonderful friendships and opportunities for advancement to me. As things stand, I can competently find my way across West Africa, without problems.
As a result, I’m able to enjoy close to, if not THE BEST of multiple worlds!
I recommend that you do what I’ve done (learn at least one foreign language), so you can avoid being limited by your location, in terms of your achievements..