Money is both a foe and a friend. It enables us and at times, it misguides us. We spend most of our lives working, thinking, spending and worrying about money. Even then, it remains as one of the biggest taboos to talk about.
People often blame having money or lack of it for not being able to start something or make a difference. For young people with passion to start a business or initiative money often becomes a barrier and for grownups with money it often becomes a source of undue pride. At times, we put unjust importance on money and claim opposite as well.
On the eve of global money week, this is our attempt to understand money better and therefore how people think about it. Entrepreneurs, young people and kids talking openly and a little philosophically about money and having it and therefore lack of it. Let us start this mini-series with: Sabhanaz Rashid Diya.
Sabhanaz Rashid Diya is a Social Entrepreneur and the Founder of One Degree Initiative Foundation-a non-profit focuses on mentoring young people to become active change makers. She is also an author of two books and a relentless proponent of youth empowerment as a means to national progress. She came from a financially stable background but it does not help once you become responsible for your own life. She spends her days working for an organization that is not profit driven, yet she lives a good life.
What do you think about money?
Money is very limited in its definition. It is not only paper built but also a worth. Personally I am not very fond of money. Although money is built to measure one’s worth but I consider it as a very poor instrument of measuring one’s worth. It is sometimes strange to me how a piece of paper can evaluate human worth. I think any living thing is much more valuable than just a piece of paper.
How important money is to start a business or take an initiative?
I think money is important but it is not the most important thing. The most important thing to start a business is to have an idea. Money can help you to structure your venture but it does not possess the power to make it a success.
When I started, I borrowed only BDT 500 from a friend’s father.
How much money you had when you started?
When I started, I borrowed only BDT 500 from a friend’s father.
What are the current sources of your income?
I run a non-profit organization. Whatever I earn from it, I reinvest it to my venture for its improvement.
What are the major areas of your expenditures?
My utility bills, house rent. I don’t get to spend much on my luxury because I prefer to live a very humble life.
Do you save every month or you end up in budget deficit?
Since I run a non-profit organization, I have to invest my income in it. So at the end of every month, I neither can save nor end up in budget deficit. I can carefully bring the perfect balance between my income and my expenditures.
What is the most expensive thing you own?
I am myself the most expensive thing.
What are few of luxurious habits you have?
I have this luxurious habit of chasing my dreams.
How did you get to where you are today, financially?
I started with absolutely nothing. The strategic planning of revenue models and patience has got me where I am today financially.
I have this luxurious habit of chasing my dreams.
Were you ever lived in poverty?
Every day is poverty. Although we define poverty in a very economic sense, but not being able to do what you love and chase what you dream is also a form of poverty. Fortunately, I wasn’t born in poverty. But I lived in poverty when I started as I did not have any money to run after my dreams and change them into reality.
Although we define poverty in a very economic sense, but I think not being able to do what you love and chase what you dream is also a form of poverty.
Any money advice?
Do not value money more than what it’s worth.
[su_note note_color="#f8f9f9" text_color="#25618a" radius="13"]Credit: Interview by Fatema Mohammad for Future Startup, edited by Ruhul Kader. [/su_note]
