Mid-February and mid-November are the season for pears, but Bernard, a 19-year-old boy, chose the scary period to make his earnings.
In the quiet hours before the sun rises, while people are still looking on what to take for breakfast, Bernard is already at work, with a tray full of pears on his head, he walks along the streets to sell his avocados to people. The go for 300f, 500f, and 3 for 1000f. His business is built on one powerful idea, true profit does not come from following the crowd, but from finding what others cannot. « It is scarce and very expensive because it is not the season,” Bernard explains, a knowing smile on his face. “That is the exact reason I choose it.” While other sellers offer common fruits, Bernard offers a craving one because of the scarcity.
He understands that people desire avocados for their toast, and salads, all time around. When supply is low, desire does not disappear, the shortage make it more expensive, but people still purchase it. This simple rule of supply and demand is the foundation of his entire operation. But how does he get them, his secret lies in his source and his timing.Every morning, Bernard goes to Marché Mfoundi, the large market center where the day’s freshest produce first arrives. He does not go for the ripe, ready-to-eat fruits that everyone else fights over. Instead, he searches for something specific : hard, green, unripe avocados. “I get the avocados from Marché Mfoundi very early in the morning,” he says
. He carefully selects the firmest fruits, knowing they have a journey ahead of them. His next step is what sets him apart. He does not sell them immediately. “I keep them for two days so they get ready.”Bernard takes his precious, unripe avocados and stores them in a perfect, temperature-controlled environment. For two days, he watches and waits. He lets nature take its course, but under his watchful eye
