i am FEE

Ok this is it. No turning back. Let me begin by introducing myself. I am Fritz Ekwoge Ekwoge aka FEE.

I want to start a challenge on my website (http://www.kerawa.com) I launched a few days ago where one can post ads and events for free. The challenge is simply to register 1000 free ads in 20 days.

Think it’s not hard enough, huh? Let me give you the odds.

1. I am just a local Cameroonian still in Cameroon. I am in an undeveloped country where internet access is still a luxury so people hardly go online. We largely prefer diversifying ourselves with drinks in our local bars. I think I am one of those few interested in having a blog(ekwogefee.akopo.com).
2. I am not in Silicon Valley so I don’t have venture capitalists willing to invest to make my site grow. There hasn’t been any really successful online venture in Cameroon before, so who would want to risk in an unsure business, eh?
3. I am not a TV star, neither was I the most popular guy in school, nor in a country at all interested with technology. So I am not at all assured of any media coverage.
4. I don’t have internet at home so I cannot work on the internet any time I want or even late at night. To aggravate matters, internet connections are sooooooo sloooooow.
5. I just had a job. That even gives me less than 2hrs a day to work on my own private projects, and usually at the wrong moments, when I am already tired.
6. I am not from a rich background. And things have even gotten financially worse in my family very recently. I am just happy my parents have trained me well and done their best to educate me. One day, they will be very proud of me.
7. I did not go to Harvard, Stanford, MIT or any of those tough recognized institutions. I did all my studies in Cameroon, and have never stepped out of the country.
8. I am relatively young. Having ambitions like mine at the age of 23 is not common here in Cameroon. Yeah I know in the US there are guys far younger that have succeeded in doing greater things online . I started touching computers like 5 years ago. Internet like 3 years ago. I don’t still own a computer.

There are many other reasons that would have stopped me or discouraged me. But I have so much faith on God’s will in my life. And my parents have taught me better than giving up so easily. They told me there is no excuse in life. So enough with the excuses !!

I was talking about registering 1000 free community ads in the next 20 days on kerawa.com. What the heck is kerawa.com?

Kerawa.com is a site where you post your ads and events for free, kinda like craigslist in the US. You go there and sell (kerawise) your stuff online, or meet people, look for lost ones, promote your business, find a job, invite friends for a party, find a date etc. It was meant to be simple to use. No credit card online (we Cameroonians and most poor African countries don’t even have credit cards), no registration, and you can post anonymously. You can view it as a medium to advertise what you are willing to give out, and then stay amazed at the number of people in your neighbourhood who are willing to pay for your service.

Though things have not been easy we want to believe that technically, the site is already ok. Well from my insider point of view. Any one who finds a bug or an aspect we could ameliorate can contact me. Feedback really helps. The problem now is getting a lot of people to use it. That is where things become very very difficult.

There are a lot of Cameroonians with great ideas. Some have developed really good websites but unfortunately have not received the appreciation they deserved, neither have they earned the money they merited. The internet in Cameroon as stated above is still a luxury. Hey but there are no excuses in life not so? Statistics are not really relevant when you firmly believe what you are doing will succeed.

So I decided to set up a challenge. To defy myself, to defy Cameroonians and other poor African countries. To see if things can be changed. Kerawa.com is a very useful service but can only help our community if each and every one of us helps it become popular. And I don’t know what it takes for a site to be popular. All I know is that in the next 20 days, I should have gotten at least 1000 ads from the African community, especially from Cameroon where I've lived since.

I don’t know where to begin. I don’t know who to see, who to consult. All I know is I don’t have the right to fail. On day 1 out of 20, I am on 26 ads. In 19 days, I have to get 974 ads.

This will be remembered as the “Kerawa Effect”.