25/08/2026
The Boda Boy Who Chose His Own Path
Today at Juba Town Station, my workplace, I had one of those experiences that reminded me why I am proud of the life I have chosen.
I work as a boda boy, and I am not ashamed of it. In fact, I am proud of it.
While I was at the station, a very fine lady came looking for a boda. I rushed toward her with a big smile on my face. Her beauty was genuinely adorable, and she told me she was going to Hai Thoura.
I smiled and said, “I’ll take you there as soon as possible. It’s only 15,000 South Sudanese pounds.”
She looked at me and said, “Okay, little one.”
And just like that, our journey began.
What started as an ordinary boda ride quickly became something I will remember for a long time. As we rode through Juba, we started talking. The conversation was so natural and enjoyable that it felt like we had known each other for much longer.
At some point, she told me she liked my smile and my teeth.
I laughed and said, “That’s the only gift my parents gave me.”
She laughed too.
Then, suddenly, she said, “Wait, young man… you smell so nice.”
She asked what perfume I was wearing.
“Sauvage Dior,” I told her.
She was surprised.
“Wow! Aren’t you full of surprises? How does a boda boy afford such an expensive perfume?”
I smiled.
“I like fancy things,” I told her. “And whenever I want something, I find a way to buy it, no matter how expensive it is.”
The conversation continued, and somewhere along that journey, we started becoming interested in each other. She asked for my name and my phone number. After I told her my full name .
Then she asked me another unexpected question.
“Are you the brother of Aguek Ring Mabil, son of Ring Mabil?” I replied her yes ! . She said I see where this expensive stuff comes from because she deeply look at me and analyst that I was wearing very expensive shoes , clothes , phone and the perfumes . I replied no no habibi, Me and my brother are two different persons with their own ambition and fortune
I smiled and said yes.
She looked surprised.
“How can the brother of a government official be working as a boda boy?”
That question made me think.
My answer was simple:
“Because I chose this for myself.”
There is nothing embarrassing about choosing honest work. I can come to work with empty pockets, and sometimes, with a little luck and hard work, I can go home with a lot of cash in my pocket.
My brother is doing great things. He has his own path, his own ambitions, and a future ahead of him. He carries a great part of our family name and the legacy of Panawak.
But I am different.
Maybe I am the black sheep of the family.
And honestly, I don't mind.
I don't want to live my life simply because people expect me to. I want to discover what I am capable of by choosing my own path.
Some people may look at me and see only a boda boy.
But I see a young man with dreams, ambition, confidence, and the freedom to build his own future.
Today, I realized something important:
Your job does not determine your worth.
Where you start does not determine where you will finish.
And being from a respected family does not mean you have to follow the same road as everyone else.
Sometimes, you have to create your own road.
Sometimes, you have to be willing to be different.
Sometimes, people will misunderstand your choices.
Let them.
As long as you are working honestly, chasing your dreams, and becoming the person you want to become, keep going.
I am proud to be a boda boy today.
Tomorrow, I may become something completely different.
But whatever I become, I want to know that I earned it through my own choices, my own courage, and my own hard work.
And maybe that beautiful lady I met today was more than just a passenger.
Maybe she was a reminder that sometimes, life gives you unexpected moments that make you stop and appreciate the road you are on.
Choose what you love.
Choose your own path.
Work for what you want.
And whatever you choose, give it your hundred percent.
Because one day, the road you are riding today may lead you exactly where you were always meant to go.
