“THE THREE PATHS TO WEALTH”

Three cousins—Idrissa, Mamadou, and Oumarou—each receive 50,000 CFA francs as a birthday gift from their wealthy uncle. They make different financial choices, leading to very different outcomes over the course of a year.

Idrissa, the spender, uses all his money on sneakers, clothes, and food, enjoying temporary pleasures but quickly finding himself broke. Mamadou, the saver, deposits his money in a bank and keeps it safe, but he realizes that saving alone does not make his money grow. Oumarou, the investor, takes a risk by starting a small doughnut business. His sales grow steadily, and he reinvests his earnings, significantly increasing his wealth.

A year later, the three cousins reflect on their choices. Idrissa regrets spending everything with nothing to show for it. Mamadou realizes that while saving is good, investing would have helped his money grow. Oumarou, having taken the risk of entrepreneurship, is now making steady profits. Their uncle uses their experiences to teach them an important lesson about financial decisions—spending leads to nothing, saving provides security, but investing creates wealth.