Meet Chris, a fresh graduate of the University of Benin, who decided to “start adult life” after school. Since graduation, he has been working at a small private school near his area. But things have not been rosy for him. In this interview, the 22-year-old shares his experience:
What do you do?
I am a teacher at a small secondary school along Sapele Road, Benin City. I teach Government, Literature, Civic Education, and English to the senior arm of the secondary school. Then, for the junior secondary school, I teach English and CCA.
Haba, is that not too much?
Well, it’s a small school. There are just like six classes from JSS1 to SS3. So JSS1 is like one class of 16 students, and that’s like the largest population in a class.
Still, that’s a lot of subjects, don’t you think?
Yeah, it is but that’s how small schools operate. They are always trying to save costs by employing a few people and overworking them. I have a colleague who teaches Primary 4 to 6 all subjects.
How much do you earn?
This is going to sound disgraceful but I earn 20k per month. The teacher’s reward is sh*t abeg. The funny thing is, except for the principal, I am actually the highest-paid teacher there. Others are earning something like 10 – 15k.
Given the current state of things, would you say it is insufficient, sufficient, or more than sufficient for your lifestyle?
Obviously, it is insufficient. I am fortunate to be living at home and eating mummy’s food but even at that, the pay can be very discouraging. I know how many months’ complete salary I had to save to buy the budget phone I am currently using. I am just trying not to think about this state because it’s not a permanent thing.
What’s one financial principle you live by?
Uhm, buy planned things only. I am working with very little so I only buy what I have planned to. Once, I bought something impulsively and ended up regretting it because it was useless. That basically opened the depression doors for like two weeks.
This amazing entrepreneur has been making shoes since he was nine!
What’s your ideal figure to earn a month?
Hmm, it wouldn’t hurt to earn slightly more. But if I can just tell you with judgment, 100k is not a bad figure. Like, it would be a massive jump from what I make now and it would really help me in many ways.
Do you have any investments?
Investments, LOL. I don’t even have savings if I am being frank. I live from hand to mouth, there are no investments yet. You know, on second thoughts, I invest in myself. I recently got a new phone and that can open doors. Last term, I used that phone to type most of the exam questions for my school, I only had to go to a cyber cafe for Maths and to format the rest properly. That earned me around 15k extra.
What’s one financial decision you made that you think worked out for you?
Buying this phone was a good financial decision. I am getting more financial opportunities because of it. While nothing has panned out, those are doors that I now have access to.
What’s one financial mistake you’ve made, and did you learn from it?
Well, I haven’t really made any financial mistakes because I tend to be prudent. I cannot afford to be anything less if we are being honest. But there was the purchase I made that turned out to be useless and I wasn’t happy about that. I learned to shun impulse buying from that experience.
What are your financial goals for 2023
To get to a better place financially. Like I said, this is a temporary job and I am going for service soon so when that happens, I know I’ll get something that pays significantly more than what I am earning now.
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