A few weeks ago, I published a post called "From Guangzhou Skyscrapers to Bujumbura Markets: My Unplanned Journey." It was the most personal thing I've ever written. I shared my dreams, my failures, my detours, and where I am now selling kitchenware at Siyoni Market in Bujumbura while building websites at night.
I didn't know what to expect. I just knew I needed to tell the truth.
Then a reader left a comment that stopped me in my tracks.
The Comment That Got Me
Here's what they wrote:
"My bro, never get tired. Let us build our future now. Keep working hard. I really like your post. Most of these rich people, they had where they started maybe even more down compared to yours."
I read it three times.
Not because it was long or complicated. But because it was real. Someone out there someone understood exactly what I was trying to say. They didn't just read my words. They felt them.
And that sentence: "Most rich people had where they started maybe even more down compared to yours."
That's the truth most people don't talk about.
Everyone Starts Somewhere
We look at successful people and see the result. The money. The fame. The corner office. The skyscraper.
We don't see the years of struggle before any of that happened.
We don't see the failed applications. The rejected ideas. The empty bank accounts. The nights spent wondering if any of it would ever work.
I know this because I'm living it right now.
I'm not in a skyscraper. I'm at Siyoni Market, selling kitchenware. I'm at my laptop at midnight, building websites for clients. I'm writing blog posts between customers, hoping my words reach someone who needs them.
And you know what? That's okay.
Because everyone who ever made it started exactly where I am at the bottom, with nothing but a dream and the willingness to work.
Why I Created This Vlog
I started Dona Vlog for three reasons:
- To let people know who I am. Not just as a seller at a market, but as someone with knowledge, talent, and a story worth sharing.
- To promote my skills. I can build websites. I can design systems. I can help businesses grow online. This vlog is my living portfolio.
- To help others. If one person reads my story and feels less alone if one person decides to keep going because of something I wrote then every hour I've spent on this vlog was worth it.
That comment proved I'm on the right path.
Where I Am Now
Today, I'm in Bujumbura, Burundi. I sell kitchenware at Siyoni Market. I build websites at night. I write blog posts between customers. I'm not in a skyscraper, but I'm building something that's mine.
And here's something new I haven't shared publicly yet:
I'm currently developing a house rental search platform a system where property owners can publish their available houses, and people looking to rent can browse listings and find exactly what they need. It's like having a marketplace for rental homes, specifically designed for our local market.
I won't reveal all the details just yet it's still under development, and I believe in protecting your work until it's ready. But I can tell you this: it combines everything I've learned about web development with my understanding of what local communities actually need.
I believe technology should solve real problems. And finding a place to live? That's about as real as it gets.
And that photo from Guangzhou? I still look at it sometimes. Not with regret but with gratitude. That version of me had no idea what was coming. He thought success looked like a corner office. He didn't know it could also look like a market stall, a laptop, and a dream that refuses to die.
What's Next?
Honestly? I don't know exactly. And for the first time, I'm okay with that.
Here's what I do know:
- I will keep building this vlog sharing tutorials, stories, and photography from Burundi.
- I will keep offering web development services to businesses that need an online presence.
- I will finish the house rental platform and launch it when it's truly ready.
- I will keep learning. About tech, about business, about people.
- I will stay open to opportunities whether they come from a skyscraper or a market.
Maybe one day I'll combine everything technology, business, and storytelling into something bigger than I can imagine right now.
Maybe the house rental platform will grow into something that changes how people find homes in Burundi.
Maybe I'll surprise myself again.
The point is: the story isn't over.
A Message to Anyone Reading This
Wherever you are right now whether you're selling in a market, working a job you didn't choose, or building something nobody believes in yet know this:
You're not behind. You're just at the beginning.
The people you admire were once where you are. They just didn't stop.
So don't stop.
Keep building. Keep learning. Keep showing up.
Your future self will thank you.
Let's Talk
What's one thing you're working on right now that nobody knows about? Or what's a comment or message that changed your perspective?
Drop it in the comments. I read every single one.
— Dona
Comments (11)