Sakeus Wilbard, well known as Ben (Mr Technology) is living his dream when he prioritised his goals.
Ben has nine siblings, four brothers and five sisters. He schooled at Martti Ahtisaari Primary School from Grade One to Seven and then went on to Ella Du Plessis High School for Grade 8 to 12. Failing and repeating Grade 10 was one of Ben’s worse challenges, but this only made him realise that one will never achieve success without a pauce. “You have only failed, if you fail to get up from your failure. In brief failure has taught me how to succeed, people’s judgement of you should never become your reality,” says Ben.
After high school he enrolled with the Polytechnic of Namibia in the Information Technology Department from which he obtained a Diploma in Information Technology, and is soon to graduate in Systems Administration and Networks. Ben’s teenage years were very rough as he was always the black sheep of his friends, and the community he grew up in. “I was known for being very naughty and disruptive. As a teenager I [encountered] so many temptations [towards] drugs and alcohol. Some of the incidents that I recall was the fact that I was always considered a thief, and when something was stolen in the neighbourhood, I would always be blamed for it. However, it is the odds that made me realise that people will always judge you regardless whether they have the facts or not. It is these experiences that moulded me into a man of ethic and integrity,” reflects Ben.
Coming from a poor family, Ben not only understood poverty, but he know what it is like to be poor. At a young age, he always looked at innovative ways to earn money, so he won’t be tempted to steal. “Some of my ideas included collecting empty bottles and reselling them, even though this was not much it kept me away from doing bad things,” he flashes back.
In the long run, Ben stumbled upon computers and fell in love with technology. “I learned how to operate them and later how to fix them, my community being illiterate then relied on the boy whom they once considered nothing but a thief, naughty trouble boy to assist them fix and teach them on how to operate this new technology they knew nothing about. See how fortune always favours those with the odds against them,” says Ben.
Another challenge Ben faced was trying to gain trust from those who labelled him as a thief without even knowing his story but despite this challenge he was still being himself, a boy of values, with high ethics, integrity and who respects his elders and authority. “What people label you does not matter that much as what you label yourself,” he voices.
Ben acknowledges that jobs are scares in the country, and therefore circumstances forced him to either be innovative or face the lashes of poverty.
“If you think water is scares in this country then try looking for employment, that is even more scares. Knowing how it is like to be poor I promised myself my children would never have to know that feeling, so with assistance of my mentor, friend and partner, prominent and rising entrepreneur of our time, Michael Amushelelo, the Chairman of Amushe Pty Ltd, the holding parent company of Amushe Computer Solutions, we decided to venture into business,” says Ben.
He is currently the Chairperson of Amushe Computer Solutions, as well as one of the founders of Amushe Pty Ltd, a company owned by young Namibians who have been daring to change the odds into their favour. As the chairperson of Amushe Computer Solutions, Ben is tasked with the responsibility of steering the company into being one of the greatest information technology company in the country, and abroad. Ben also works for the Road Authority as an Information Communication Technology (ICT) technician. “I am living prove that if young people prioritise their goals, they can achieve anything they set their minds on. Your only limits are the person you limit yourself to.”
“I thank God for my parents, no matter how hard things were, they insured that I got the best of education they could afford, they gave me hope and it is this hope that natured and watered my dreams to succeed and become someone society looks up to. I cannot forget my siblings, we might not have had everything, but one thing we had in abundance was happiness. My late cousin Marsha, may his soul rest in peace; watch me from the heavens above as I make both my dreams and your dreams a reality. Not to forget friends who have influenced my life positively you guys have been great and I appreciate you all,” he says.
What keeps Ben going is staying relevant in a society that is constantly working to make him irrelevant. “Knowledge is power” and I would love to empower people with knowledge. When someone is knowledgeable, their survival rate increases and in world where it is survival of the fittest, it is best they are well equipped to survive.”
He advises his fellow youth to live by three rules that influence him every day. “Remain hungry, maintain that hunger, and always wake up knowing that “deus semper est fidelis” a Latin phrase meaning “God is always faithful”.