From a young cocaine trafficker to Master’s Degree holder – Man shares transformational story

A Masters Degree holder in Science Accounting and Finance, Debrah Sarpong has told a nothing to something story of how he started off as a 12-year-old peddling cocaine to seeing himself through school as a shoeshine boy.

In a Facebook post sighted by GhanaWeb, the University of Education and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology graduate, recalled that he delivered cocaine wraps as a teenager to addicts at Amakom in Kumasi but had to quit out of fear of the consequences of engaging in such an act.

He narrates that upon losing his regular income from cocaine peddling, he had to resort to doing other things such as shoe shining and phone repairing to finance his education.

“At the age of 12, I could hide small wraps of cocaine in matches box and delivered it safely to some guys at Amakom without being caught in return for money.

“Fearing (that) I could either get caught by the police or be forced to taste the drug one day, I stopped getting closer to the man who used to be the drug dealer. I started shoeshine business in order to get my daily bread and finance my school bills.

“I paid my BECE registration of GH¢3 (30,000 old Ghana Cedis) through savings from shoeshine business. I was 2nd best in the school when results were released by WAEC. No money to further to SHS, I became a phone repairer at Adum and started evening SHS private classes for 3 years,” he wrote.

After passing his WASSCE exams, Sarpong subsequently moved on to pursue a Diploma at the Kumasi Polytechnic (Kumasi Technical University) and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting at the University of Education Winneba after that.

Debrah progressed further by pursuing a Master of Science in Accounting and Finance at KNUST.

Having successfully graduated with a master’s degree, Sarpong who shared pictures from his graduation in his post, shared a word of motivation with his audience as he entreated them to remain steadfast in their trying times.

“There would be distractions like hunger, embarrassment, disappointment and betrayal but remain focused. Worry not about where help would come from. The universe will bring them. Have a positive thought and work towards it,” he stated in his post.

He also expressed gratitude to his father and the Member of Parliament for Subin, Eugene Boakye Antwi for their support in his journey.