On Sustainable Giving: Why the Young Should Build Before They Give Back
The writer argues that young Cameroonians often mistake launching an NGO or foundation for genuine social impact, when financial instability undermines both the giver and the work. Real philanthropy, he contends, must be bootstrapped from personal or business success—not launched from precarity as a substitute for employment.
YOU CANT HELP THE POOR IF YOU'RE ONE OF THEM - Javynyuy Joybert.
I do not know who sold us this lie in Cameroon (Africa) that creating NGOs and Foundations is an achievement.
You are just leaving school and thinking of creating a Foundation/NGO. You are unemployed and thinking of creating an NGO You can barely take care of yourself you are creating an NGO
Instead of thinking of creating a not-for-profit organization (Foundation/NGO) first, create something you can monetize, then bootstrap to build forward and when you start getting stable profits, start putting aside a monthly percentage to give back to the society or to the cause you believe.
The concept of NGOs greatly misunderstood by young people.
In the real sense, Foundations and NGOs are for people and companies who have made their money and desire to give back to the society without passing through the government maybe because of trust issues. If you have a government like that of Cameroon, can you trust them with millions to run projects haahah. Only corruption and embezzlement will take place.
So, creating a Foundation/NGO and the next week you are up and down people's inbox and offices begging for money to run projects or writing grants here and there for years no grants you start feeling you are a failure when you are not. You just started the wrong way.
I respect people who have stable careers with monthly income and stable businesses (small or big) to start Foundations/NGOs.
As a young person, your primary goal after school should be get valuable workplace skills, either by getting entry level jobs, internships or volunteering, your goal should be to get stable financially by starting a business that can give you money. If you must start something around the not-for-profit sector, start with what you can use the skills you have to create impact at your level while you build a portfolio which you can use to position yourself where the right authorities can find you.
Look around you, you will see tens of young people in the name of running NGOs and creating impact while they are living hand to mouth year after year and being a burden at the same time to their families and friends. Yes, we should all give back to the society, but it should be sustainable.
Here is a perfect example of starting sustainable NGOs in Cameroon
Ngassa Nina (may she continue to rest in peace), started her restaurant, became profitable, then created The Ngassa Nina Foundation to give back to the society by empowering young girls. Did you see her begging money through MOMO to fund her projects?
Sandry'n Nchotu a successful network marketer with longrich made her millions from network marketing, then created her NGO to give back to the society by empowering IDPs. She did not inbox anyone to beg for money. Instead, when people see moves like this they beg to support.
Fakeh Cynthia after making her millions from network marketing has donated so much to IDPs through her non-profit intiatives without begging in suit.
Nju Dima Ako after making millions from his various businesses have gone to orphanages to donate food supplies in Buea, Douala without bugging me his friend to support his NGO.
Fotabe Elmine after building a stable career set up a university that provide massive scholarship to young Cameroonians.
Look at the amazing work Papa Rk (Roland Kwemain Roland Kwemain) is doing through the Cameroon Leadership Academy. Housing, feeding, providing logistics and training to 100 young people once a year for 1 week funded mainly by his company before other partners come in.
I don't want to talk about what Tony Elumelu is doing. A broke man cannot provide 100 million dollars to support Entrepreneurs for free.
This is the real model of Foundations/NGOs. You see these people I have mentioned, if they want to raise funding through grants they will easily do that because they will write with heavy portfolio of results. Without external funding they will still create impact.
I know people who started the wrong way will try to argue. But that is your problem. You will still argue and go beg. Start thinking of running a sustainable model not a begging model. If e vex I dey na house come beat me.
Note: If you are in the diaspora and thinking of doing something back at home please do not think NGO. Lets talk and propose a better model. Free things only make a country poor.
Cheers
Javnyuy Joybert Mr Remarkable www.cosdefgroup.co
The post reflects a moment of proliferation in Cameroon's nonprofit sector, particularly among youth seeking purpose or opportunity post-education. It speaks to real economic precarity, where informal modes of "giving back" often mask underemployment or serve as placeholder identity rather than sustainable practice. The writer's tone suggests frustration with what he sees as well-intentioned but structurally unsound mimicry of international development models.
Then and now, the piece names a persistent gap between aspiration and capacity in social entrepreneurship across Africa—the assumption that moral urgency can substitute for financial foundation. It resists the romantic mythology of the scrappy NGO, grounding philanthropy instead in boring fiscal reality. The argument remains sharp because the underlying tension—between urgent need and personal survival—has not resolved.