The Unexpected Perks of Giving Back | Clement Ngosong
- Open Dreams
- Jun 16
- 2 min read
One of the questions I get asked the most is, “How are you able to afford traveling so much on your salary?”
The short answer? I’ve been lucky to build friendships and connections around the world with people generous enough to host me. Sometimes it’s a couch. Sometimes a spare bed. And it always comes with meals, internet, and deep conversations at no extra cost.
This kind of access is a privilege. And I’m aware I’ve earned it, in part, because of the work I’ve done over the years mentoring young people through Open Dreams Educational NGO.
When I joined the organization back in 2018, I was paired with a mentor, Liyeuk Reynald, who helped me navigate the journey to winning a fully funded scholarship at Ashesi University.
At the time, Open Dreams was based mostly in Bamenda, right in the middle of the Anglophone Crisis and I saw an opportunity to help expand their presence in Yaoundé. So I started visiting schools, talking to students about global opportunities, and encouraging them to pair academic excellence with extracurricular involvement.
That outreach—along with the uniquely engaging soft skills sessions I designed and ran for students during their summer bootcamp—gave me a seat at the table within the organization.
Five years later, many of the students I mentored are now in world-class universities or thriving in global careers. And when I travel, I often find myself reconnecting with them in cities like Accra, Nairobi, New York, Chicago, Washington DC, Dortmund, Paris, London, Edinburgh, Cape Town, Kigali etc.
Every time I sleep on a friend’s couch or get invited over for lunch/dinner, I’m reminded that this is what happens when you spend years investing in people not for profit, not for prestige, but out of care and shared growth.
I am wrapping up my stay in Kenya and heading to explore South East Asia soon and I am confident I will continue to meet OD scholars around the region.
Open Dreams continues to do incredibly important work. If you’re looking to support something meaningful, consider donating to their fundraiser using the link in the comment.
Clement Ngosong | Open Dreams
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Learn more about me and my engagements at www.clementngosong.com
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