02: Lessons From My Grandad – With Dr. Wilfred Asombang

Life in the 40s to 60s was nothing compared to current times. For my Grandad(Dr. Wilfred Asombang), then a young man trying to find a meaning for his existence, it wasn’t any different.

I brought him on this week’s episode to discuss his life’s story and share the lessons he learned along the way, which led to success and a legacy for us his grandchildren. I hope this episode gives you more clarity about life and offers you some answers to some of the struggles you may be facing.

MEET THE GUEST:

Dr. Wilfred Wasi Asombang was born in Cameroon (Achah Quarter, Mbengwi Village, Meta, Momo Division). Dr. Asombang beat all odds to fulfill his dreams of going to school in various parts of the world making him the first in his family and one of the very few citizens with advanced education at the time. His education includes the following:

Basel  Mission Primary School, Mbengwi; Ahmadiya College, Aggege, Lagos, Nigeria; London University Advanced Level GCE Certificate through Rapid Results College correspondence tuition; B.Com (Hons) Degree, University of Poona, Maharastra, India; MBA and MSc (Agecon) degrees from the University of Minnesota pre-MBA and the University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, including an internship at the IBRD/World Bank, Washington D.C. USA; and   1988 Ph.D. (Econs) degree, University of Wales, Aberystwyth campus, Wales, UK. 

During his professional years, Dr. Asombang had several publications and was a member of several professional societies. He worked for prominent international organizations like the African Union and United Nations. Presently, as a United Nations retiree, he is a Freelance Consultant on Capacity Building for Economic Growth & Development; Strategic Human Resources Management, and Regional Cooperation and Integration.

Things You Will Learn in This Episode: 

[00:01 – 03:00] Introduction

• Introducing our guest – Dr. Wilfred Asombang

[03:00 – 25:00] Grandad talks about his humble beginnings

• Life in rural Cameroon
• His upbringing and education
• His struggle to pursue education in Cameroon and Nigeria
• Gaining Scholarships & Studying in United States 

[25:00 – 01:00:00] Work Life & Career Progression

• Getting into the Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC) & United Nations (UN)
• Moving across African countries
• Lecturing in Namibia & Cameroon
• Humanitarian Work & Service to Others

[01:00:00 – 01:30:00] Challenges experienced and lessons learnt

• Studying in Wales for a PhD
• Work in several Departments of the UN
• How to progress in your career
• The importance of hard work and integrity

[01:30:00 – 01:45:00] Final Advice

• Life lessons from Grandad
• Advice to the younger generation
• Importance of women empowerment
• Why we need to be more tolerant and accepting
• Final words from Grandad
• Final words from Anyoh

Tweetable Quotes:

“My late father brought me up with the mindset that I need to work hard before I think of pleasure. He emphasized hard work before pleasure – it was like his motto and this is how he put it: “my son, the first thing in life is work. So, work hard on your own.” — Dr. Wilfred Asombang

“On racism in America during my studies, I didn’t even realize it but it was the academic advisor who pointed out that this was a problem. The problem was that I was the only black person in the MBA classrooms and those who handled the academic records were 100% white people. Unfortunately, most of them had never spoken to a black man and so when I entered the office, they all ran away – they disappeared.” — Dr. Wilfred Asombang

“And then we must also accept the fact that every human being has ideas, so they must be given the opportunity to express themselves. So if you have a family, you must know that everyone in the family has ideas that can contribute to the well being of their family so they must be allowed to express those ideas and possibly turn them into realities.” — Dr. Wilfred Asombang

“We must accept that change is unstoppable, that change is necessary, and  so we all need to contribute to that change.” — Dr. Wilfred Asombang

“You should know that everyone, whether a man or a woman, is a breadwinner! Yes, we must move away from the point where we used to say that men are the breadwinners – no! The women are serving, working, and creating stuff so we say everyone is a breadwinner, and everyone has to start with self-employment.” — Dr. Wilfred Asombang

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You can connect with Anyoh on Facebook (@anyohf), Instagram (@anyohfombad), and Twitter (@anyohfombad).