Chapter 50 – The Power of Believing in Yourself
One night, after an exhausting day, Salimo sat by the chicken coop. The chickens were already settled, and the silence was broken only by the distant crowing of a rooster. The smell of damp earth mingled with the warmth of the yard, bringing back memories of the streets. He recalled the cold of the nights without shelter, the hunger that made him tremble, and the words of contempt he had heard so many times: "He'll never amount to anything."“
Back then, if he had believed those voices, he would still be lost. But deep down he always held onto a flame: the certainty that his life could be different. That silent faith was what brought him there.
Now, with hens laying fertile eggs, chicks hatching in Hamza's incubator, chickens fattening in Beto's backyard, and Fito delivering orders by motorbike, he had living proof that believing in himself works. These weren't motivational phrases from someone distant; they were real facts built with daily effort.
Salimo thought: “There are many who spend their time criticizing what hasn't been done. They say nothing works, that young people don't work, that the country isn't progressing. But they don't teach how to do it. Because they've never done it. They know how to talk, but they don't know how to get their hands dirty. We, on the contrary, are showing that it's possible. We don't talk about books or theories. We talk about clean nests, collected eggs, distributed feed, and served customers. That's what sets us apart: we're doing it.”
These words gave him strength. He realized he didn't need validation from critics or influencers who thrive on pointing out flaws. True example comes from practice, from the consistency between what is said and what is built.
The next morning, he got up earlier than usual. As he opened the chicken coop, he smiled. It wasn't just about taking care of chickens—it was about taking care of the future.
A practical lesson for the young reader: don't let the criticism of those who have never done anything shake your faith. Learn from those who have the marks of hard work, not just those who speak eloquently.
You Can: Those who believe in themselves and put their hands to work, transform words into results.
