My Grandmother’s Words, My Life’s Path: Lessons in Patience and Purpose

Today, I am the first Cameroonian studying towards a Master of Public Policy (MPP)  at the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford University. I want to believe I am my ancestors' wildest dream.

In this dizzying but blessed state, I find myself pondering on my grandmother’s favourite phrase,“Que celui qui est pressé s’avance” meaning, “whosoever is in a hurry should go ahead.” I grew up in a very large, lively and modest family. My parents were not the wealthiest in town, but to the best of their ability, they always provided for my siblings and I. At six,  I left the nation’s capital to live with my incredible uncle in a rural community called Santa.

My time with my uncle helped me develop a strong sense of agency. I still vividly recall how we would listen to the news every morning before work and excitedly listen again in the evening at home. He was such a political animal who heavily influenced my viewpoint on leadership.

To me, a good leader is one who serves others without expecting anything in return.

As a child, I dreamed of becoming a pilot, driven by a simple desire to travel the world. However, as I grew older, my aspirations shifted toward studying law so I could defend the voiceless in my community. But when you grow up in a country where justice holds no meaning, you quickly learn to let go of certain dreams. Eventually, I resigned myself to the idea of serving my country in whatever way I could. How best to do that, I still do not know. What I do know, at least at the time of this writing, is that my grandmother’s words have taught me patience, to wait until my time comes.

I’ve carried this deep desire to serve my country for six years, searching for the best streams to let my talents flow into.

After letting go of my law ambitions, I undertook a Bachelor's Degree in Social Sciences and International Relations–majoring in Peace and Development, and minoring in Conflict and Peace-building. Since my country has been caught in the crossfire of three conflicts, it appeared to me that contributing to peace building was a personal and noble task, also enabling me to assist in postwar reconstruction. Upon graduating, I joined a business incubator, then an American Educational NGO (Open Dreams) before co-founding my own social enterprise.

I want to believe the best moments of this experience was working with Open Dreams. Its mandate resonates perfectly with the entirety of my purpose; equalizing educational opportunities for high academic achieving but low-income students. In my six years within the organization, we have mentored over 2000 students, helping over 250 of them access higher education and scholarships abroad. My time at the organization influenced my academic journey, and made me more ambitious. I would often tell my friends and lecturers how one day I would join the University of Oxford, Harvard University, LSE or Sciences Po.

I gave a first shot at Sciences Po Paris in 2021, and made it to the end without a scholarship.

Disappointed with this news, I decided to follow the advice of my president, that of engaging into entrepreneurship. In his February 10th, 2021 speech, he invited young Cameroonians  to indulge in agriculture, arts and craft or digital technology-  The government had done its utmost best in employing individuals, but just couldn’t do the same for everyone. That was a stance and path that could not feed my soul, but I needed in order to feed myself. Things, again, did not work out.  Fuelled by both my frustration and desire to contribute to nation-building, I embarked on a social entrepreneurial journey which would set the pace into Oxford.

The application process was gruelling, confusing taxing and at times felt all too unattainable for someone like me- yet I persisted with drunken ambition and hope. I persisted with confidence and determination. When I received my acceptance letter, not just from Oxford, but LSE, I finally felt like I was on the right path.

Who would have fathomed that a little kid from an almost non-existent village would make it to the world’s best institution of higher learning.

 My story is only possible because of both my uncle’s agency and my grandmother’s wise words. Despite facing the numerous adversities of life, I learned how to wait for my moment.

 If you’ve read till this point, and are still scared of taking a step towards your dreams, I am here to tell you they’re all valid. You’ll need to work, work, and work harder. I experienced failure after failure, setback after setback and obstacle after obstacle, yet I stand as a valid and transparent voice at the world’s leading institution.

Prince Forghab Matriculating into Oxford University

You will need to accept, like I did,  that you do not determine the monopoly of knowledge and need the guidance from those who have walked the path before you. There is absolutely no shame in asking for help, and you will be surprised who lends a hand.

If you intend to apply to the University of Oxford, you shouldn’t hesitate. The only difference between someone who gets admitted and one who doesn’t is often because one did apply and not the other. If the MPP is what catches your attention, one strong advice I can give you is not to be scared by the school’s influencing story and faculty. Just keep in mind that there is no loss in submitting an application, just regrets when you never do.

While I take a step back, having an outlook of how my journey ,here has been and what awaits me, I wouldn’t say Oxford has answered all my questions, but it has indeed been a remarkable passage and experience which I strongly doubt could be replicated somewhere else. This Oxford journey is a compilation of many previous events which prepared my way here. I hope that when you revisit this article in a few years and look me up, you’ll find that I have discovered the best way to serve my country.

For now, I want you to retain my grandmother’s saying as you navigate your journey; “whosoever is in a hurry should go ahead”. Hold fast, hold still, you’re almost there.