A Promise Too Big is a captivating memoir that speaks to the indomitable human spirit of never giving up. It is an inspiring story of how a young man, against all odds, found ways to overcome overwhelming adversities to fulfil a precious promise.
At 13 years old in 2010, Josues settled in a council estate in a small town in County Kildare with no English. He moved to Ireland with his brother, Chris (15 years old at the time) to join their family. He made a promise to his mother and grandmother that he will one day hold a university degree at all cost, as he left them at the airport in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In 2015, he discovered he had been abandoned, made homeless and left to fend for himself with just 65 to his name. Chris became homeless in 2014 when he was kicked out of their home. The brothers told themselves that they couldn't afford to fail. They picked themselves up and relied on those around them including strangers for support in their pursuit of higher education.
In his pursuit of his third level education, he found refuge among drug and alcohol addicts in Dublin's inner city, impoverished areas of Dublin. He found place of solace among those rejected by society. In order to stay financially afloat, he desperately searched for job opportunities. The turning point in his life occurred when he was contacted by McDonald's for an interview, marking the beginning of a new chapter. However, with the sudden loss of his university grant, he had to rely on the income from his job at McDonald's to sustain himself as well as finance the last two years of his university education by himself. Despite the demands of pursuing full-time studies, he balanced a full-time job alongside his academic commitments.
In 2019, Josues graduated with a first-class honours in Microbiology from University College Dublin. In 2019, straight after graduation, he joined PwC Ireland, the largest professional services firm in the country, as a graduate associate in their tax department. In 2022, he qualified as a chartered tax adviser (CTA) with the Irish Tax Institute. CTA is the leading tax advisory qualification in Ireland for tax professionals. In 2023, he joined Apple, one of the largest company in the world by market cap, as an indirect tax analyst.
The story is an ode to the power of hope and perseverance, and how the smallest opportunities can change one's life. It is a story of unwavering determination and resilience where one's aspirations are pursued through countless sacrifices and unyielding hard work, but begs the question: at what cost?
This book will take you on an emotional rollercoaster and leave you inspired.