Working three jobs and still struggling to make ends meet—that’s the life of an African bachelor. They say the more money you make, the more problems you have to solve. I used to doubt that, but now it feels all too real. I work hard, but at the end of the day, there’s nothing left to show for it. No savings, no progress. Everything goes to bills, rent, food, clothes, transportation—just the basics to get by.

And yet, my family is pressuring me to get married. My parents want grandchildren before they’re gone, without considering whether I’m even okay. When I try to explain my situation, no one believes me. They see the nice clothes and assume I’m fine, but behind the polished appearance, I’m constantly worrying about how to survive the next month. I’ve cut down to two meals a day, just to save a little more.

I can’t change their minds, and the pressure doesn’t stop. But I have to keep grinding, refusing to be grounded by the weight of it all.