From a Village Computer Shop to Software Engineer: My Journey

Today, I want to share how I became a software engineer.

My journey into technology didn't start in a classroom. It started in Mpataba, a small community in the Jomoro Municipal District of Ghana's Western Region, where curiosity and opportunity met in an unexpected way.

Growing Up Around Mentors

As a child, I spent most of my time around elderly men in my community. They shared their life experiences with me and guided me on what was right and wrong. That environment shaped my discipline and how I approached learning.

In our community, there was a strong belief: no matter what course you studied in school, you could still pursue technology if you had the interest.

That belief stayed with me.

The First Spark

When I was about eight years old, I became fascinated with technology.

There was a man in my community named Richard Andoh (opens in new tab), also known as Kwaquana. He had graduated from a technical institution and opened a small shop where he repaired, troubleshot, and sold computers.

Because I was naturally comfortable around older people, I started visiting his shop frequently.

At first, I was just watching.

But gradually, he began teaching me things. He showed me how to assemble and disassemble computers, how to observe hardware behavior, and how to think through possible solutions when something went wrong.

Without any formal agreement, I had become his apprentice. He simply saw my curiosity and decided to nurture it.

Sometimes when he traveled, I would take care of the shop.

That experience marked the beginning of my journey.

Becoming the "IT Guy"

Over time, I became comfortable with computers and hardware repair. Eventually, I became the person people in the community would look for when they had technology issues.

People would come to my house with problems on their phones or computers. Most of the time it was something simple—settings, configurations, software updates. But solving those problems built my confidence. It also strengthened my relationships with the elders in town.

Interestingly, my parents didn't fully understand what I was doing. They thought I was going out to play video games.

What they didn't realize was that I was learning valuable skills, for free.

Discovering My Academic Strength

As I grew older, my interest in technology continued to grow.

In school, I consistently performed exceptionally well in ICT classes. Whenever we had exams, I was at the top of the class.

My performance opened doors for leadership. I was elected Head Boy of my basic school, where I also helped oversee the ICT lab that had been built through an NGO's support.

Even while handling school responsibilities, I continued learning hardware repair and doing small technical fixes for people.

Life wasn't easy. I was a young boy trying to build skills with very little support.

But it was worth it.

The Laptop That Changed Everything

During my final year in senior high school, while preparing for WASSCE, I heard students talking about coding.

I became curious.

I did some research, but I had to pause, I didn't have a laptop of my own.

Then something happened.

One day when I returned home, my father asked me to pick up a laptop he had purchased. From the same shop where I used to work.

That laptop changed everything.

First Steps Into Code

With that laptop, I began exploring different digital skills.

I first learned graphic design using CorelDRAW. Later, I asked my ICT teacher for Adobe Photoshop and spent time experimenting.

Eventually, I returned to coding.

But it wasn't easy.

This was 2019. There were no AI tools to assist learning. I relied on Stack Overflow (opens in new tab), scattered documentation, and sheer persistence.

And I was doing all this from a village with limited resources.

It was overwhelming.

At one point, I gave up on coding.

Redirecting, Then Returning

Even though I paused coding, I still believed technology was my path.

I shifted focus to UI/UX design and graphic design, taking on small gigs and building creative skills.

When I entered Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) (opens in new tab) to study Linguistics, I continued doing design work.

But deep down, I knew I wanted to return to coding.

And eventually, I did.

Learning Through Teaching

Back at university, I challenged myself to learn programming again.

Something interesting happened. Because I had some background knowledge, people assumed I knew more than I actually did. So I found myself teaching others.

My learning cycle became simple:

Learn something → Teach it → Repeat.

This approach accelerated my growth.

I also joined a coding community in my church called WEBTEAM (NUPS-G KNUST). That's where I met incredible people, Patrick (opens in new tab), Ayarma (opens in new tab), Benedict Appati (opens in new tab), and Yaw Karikari Wiafe (opens in new tab).

Ayarma (opens in new tab) was particularly instrumental. He taught me how to use the Git CLI, which became essential in my development journey.

That community reignited my motivation.

Coding Like Tomorrow Didn't Exist

Once the spark returned, I became obsessed.

During my university days, coding became part of my daily life. I practiced relentlessly because I knew I needed something strong to complement my Linguistics degree.

I was a straight-A student academically, but I was equally committed to building technical skills.

Many people were beginning to look up to me. That responsibility pushed me harder.

I didn't want to disappoint them.

First Real Projects

One day, my friend Joshua (JRO) (opens in new tab) called me about building a website for the CHESSA department, together with Diabene (opens in new tab).

That was my first real opportunity to apply everything I had learned.

And I loved it.

Working on real projects sharpened my skills quickly.

Soon after, Joshua (opens in new tab), Diabene (opens in new tab), and I started a small company where we built websites for clients.

And it worked.

We built projects, earned money, and gained real industry experience.

Around the same time, I secured my first independent software contract, working for six months while still pursuing my Linguistics degree.

I was also involved in leadership at Google Developer Student Clubs (GDSC) KNUST (opens in new tab), helping organize events, open forums, and contributing to developer education through Campus Code.

The Decision That Could Have Changed Everything

Looking back, one decision in high school could have changed everything.

I studied General Arts with language options because someone told me that no matter what you chose, you could still pursue computer science later.

At one point in my final year, I thought I had made a mistake.

But I refused to let that stop me.

Instead of giving up, I taught myself how to code and built the career I wanted.

Entering the Professional World

Eventually, my journey started opening unexpected doors.

The CEO of FixedByte UK (opens in new tab) contacted me through LinkedIn and invited me to join the team in Accra for a project in Ho.

That experience exposed me to real-world professional engineering.

Later, Joshua (opens in new tab) introduced me to AmaliTech (opens in new tab) and suggested I apply for my national service there.

One Friday while I was asleep, he sent me the application link.

I applied.

My CV confused them at first, my degree was in Linguistics, but my skills were in software engineering.

They asked for proof.

I gave it.

I passed the coding assessment and moved to the final stage: build a project within one month.

I planned carefully.

Then I delivered it in four days.

That was the moment everything changed.

I was accepted into the company before graduating from university.

Building Bigger Dreams

During my final year, Joshua (opens in new tab), Diabene (opens in new tab), and I started building JED (opens in new tab), an event management platform with offline USSD voting.

I served as Chief Operations Officer and Software Engineer.

What we built there, the lessons we learned, the challenges we faced, that's a story for another day.

Looking Back

When I think about this journey, from a curious boy in a small village fixing computers to becoming a professional software engineer, I realize one thing:

Curiosity, persistence, and community can take you further than you ever imagine.

And this is still just the beginning.

If my story resonates with you, or if you're on your own unconventional path into tech, I'd love to hear from you. Reach out (opens in new tab) or book a call (opens in new tab), let's talk.