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I came back from Tanzania and Madagascar with an uncomfortable thought: maybe we are not as rich as we think. At least not in the ways that matter most, and not when it comes to financial literacy.

Many people there have very little in material terms. Wages are low, infrastructure is limited, and daily life is hard for most.

And yet, again and again, I was met with a big smile and a different kind of wisdom:

  • Pole pole – slowly, slowly (Swahili)
  • Mora mora – take it easy (Malagasy)
  • Hakuna matata – no worries

Every time I come back to the West after Africa or Asia, I feel the contrast deeply.

The speed we call normal

Here, life is so often about speed. Fast education. Fast career. Fast money. Fast achievements. Fast climbing. Always on to the next thing.

I keep asking myself how I am supposed to go back to the same rhythm, or whether I even want to and I don’t have a full answer yet.

But I do know what I want to do with this feeling instead of letting it fade by the time I’ve unpacked.

Turning a watch into books

Back in Denmark, I decided to turn one piece from my watch collection into something meaningful.

I am selling my Omega Speedmaster Reduced “On the Moon” (full set) for 29,000 DKK. The money will buy the books that shaped how I think about money, independence and investing:

  • Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
  • The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason
  • The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham
  • Economics For Dummies by Sean Masaki Flynn

Shelter and clean water come first. Nobody should argue otherwise. But useful skills change lives too, and I strongly believe financial literacy is one of them. It changed mine.

Where the books will go

I haven’t decided yet which country, association or girls’ initiative will receive them. What I do know is who I want them to reach: young women who could benefit from an early introduction to economics, investing and the idea of becoming self-sufficient.

Nobody handed me that introduction. I had to build it myself, one book at a time.

If you run a company and would like to sponsor this initiative, please reach out. I can issue an invoice through IDconsult ApS.

And if you know an association or initiative working with young women in East Africa or elsewhere, I’d love to hear about it.

Thank you,
Irina

I came back from Africa with an uncomfortable thought