If you earn less than GHC3,000 a month, trying to solve everybody’s problems may be doing more harm to your own future than good to your family.
This is the admonition from Ghanaian entrepreneur and McDan Group Chairman, Dr. Daniel McKorley, popularly known as McDan, who is urging low-income earners to first build financial stability before taking on heavy family responsibilities.
According to him, earning a modest income does not mean one must become the “family’s hero”. Instead, the priority should be to bring order and stability to one’s own finances.
He says someone earning below GHC3,000 should first ensure that basic needs such as rent and food are covered, unnecessary debt is avoided and, where possible, a small emergency fund is built. His reason is that you cannot reliably support others when your own financial foundation is constantly under pressure.
McDan also challenges a common reality in many Ghanaian households, where young workers can quickly become responsible for parents, siblings, extended relatives and friends once they start earning.
The business mogul calls on low-income earners to be intentional rather than trying to carry everyone. Instead of responding to every request for money, he suggests choosing specific responsibilities that can be sustained. That could mean paying a younger sibling’s school fees, buying food for parents once a month, or taking responsibility for basic medical expenses.
The key, he says, is consistency. A small contribution that can be made every month may ultimately be more valuable than occasionally giving a large amount and then struggling to meet one’s own needs.
He is also urging young earners to learn to say “no” without feeling guilty. Family expectations can be powerful, particularly when relatives see a working family member as someone who has “made it”. But according to McDan, helping family should never require someone to sacrifice their entire financial future.
His advice is to help with needs, not appearances. Instead of giving money simply because someone asks, a person could buy food, pay examination fees, repair something essential at home, or support an activity that can generate income.
The broader objective, he says, is, however, to increase earning capacity. McDan wants low-income earners to use their current position as a starting point rather than a permanent destination by learning new skills, exploring additional income opportunities and deliberately working towards earning more.
Because ultimately, he argues, the greatest support one can give a family is not simply what they can provide today, but what they become capable of providing tomorrow.
