Going through life is like participating in a relay match; whereby knowledge is the baton. Think about it. Every day, every minute and every second that goes by, information is being passed down one generation to the next. It is a lifelong intelligence and a reality that I have affirmed from my experience in working with Impact Africa Network.
An athlete holding a baton at the starting line of a relay race.
Do you ever wonder why some things come so naturally to you? Is it inborn? Maybe you're good at dancing -hatuku-judge😎; or maybe you're an expert net baller, anyone?😅 Perhaps you've got mad pipes, and Beyoncé has got nothing on you. It could be that you are a talented calligraphy artist who would have Khaligraph Jones running for his money. See what I did there? -crisp👌. Anyhoo, back to the 'is it inborn' question.
Practice makes Perfect
You see, the primary way we have acquired such incredible talents is because we started practising early and at a tender age. Try learning Japanese in your 50s- ha! I was connecting with a colleague at Impact Africa Network recently, and we agreed that practice builds experience. I would dare add on to say that, ‘I believe experience fosters confidence’.
Imagine the confidence levels you need to be the first person on a spacecraft to the moon! People would probably think you've gone bonkers.😬 However, because this is not your first rodeo, and you've been on a bunch of spacecraft before, you do it anyway. Why? Because deep down, you know that you're good at what you do, you enjoy doing it, and for some mind-boggling reason, you always seem to finesse the bleep out of it. Hmm, what a charmer, right? Practice makes perfect.
Equalising Factor
Okay, enough of that mmh. Let us explore the lifelong intelligence bit of this article, shall we?
Think about your ECD years, life through age 4 -18. What is the one experience that we seem to have at least collectively endured?
Kindly, before you go down that rabbit hole; no, it's not the one time we had our behinds whooped for stealing a piece of meat from the kitchen pot - ahem, we know ourselves. Neither is it that one time a visitor gave you some money and your mom took it, saying - [ati] it's your money, she’s just keeping it for you. Oh sweet child, forget about it!
If you relate, I’m glad to know you’ve come this far. Whoop whoop!
Back to our common factor, what could it be, hmm?
If my assumption is admissible, our equalising factor is education. Allow me to explain further. We all seem to have been through some education-based type of upbringing. In short, we all went to school, and oh! How I bet we loved it. I get nostalgic just thinking of the carefree ol' days when all I wanted to do was colour an elephant orange, rest after having lunch and play made-up games with friends. Sounds blissful, huh?
Of course, there was more to life in school that was fascinating. Talk about learning the different types of erosion, aina ya fasihi and don’t get me started on multiplication tables.
An oil painting of primary school kids
Euphoric Experiences
Education transcends generations, and we should always pay it forward. The opportunity to learn is perhaps, by far, the most insightful and euphoric experience one can ever have. It can also be quite frustrating but fulfilling as well, like the two sides of a coin. Remember how our folks would tell us stories of how ‘ back in the days’ they walked approximately 30 km to and from school every-day! Unbelievable, right? But I guess that's the deal with getting an education; always painstaking at first, but worth it in the end.
Not too long ago, I got to have one of my best experiences yet. Some of my colleagues and I ventured on an impact-oriented CSR journey to an underprivileged primary school in rural Busia, Kenya. Our project, Make A Change education program, is powered by Impact Africa Network and through it, we sponsored 40 pupils from St. Thomas Shirandala Primary School. These funds were pooled from proceeds made on hoodie sales. To add cherry to the icing, would you imagine that the sale of one hoodie is enough to pay one pupil’s school fees for a whole year?💪
Seeing the joy and smiles on the learner’s faces warmed my heart with hope. Hope for a promising future.
What’s even more moving about the event is that, despite having a gaping provisional deficit for stationery, textbooks and even classrooms; the pupils and their teachers still show up for school whenever they are in session. It goes to show that they know the value of getting an education, and they choose to see it through. Isn’t that true resilience or what? Very commendable.
Pupils from St.Thomas Shirandala engaging in some fun activities during their playtime
Connecting the Dots
Wrapping it up, here's my POV. We wouldn't have come this far if we did not get an education. Think about it, hmm? We wouldn't be where we are now if we did not put in the effort to get here.
For most of us, we had someone to guide us because they knew the long-term value of knowledge. But, remember that there are also those of us who’ve walked this journey alone and still hope to make it through. Felicitations to both camps are in order because we dared to succeed. Look at us now, all grown up. I'm sure Auntie will be so surprised to see you! You know the one I'm talking about; she held you when you were 3 months old and still expects you to remember it.😅
Apologies, I digress.
The long and short of it is that; behind us is a generation that requires our assistance, mentorship, and support. The baton is now squarely in our hands. It is our turn to run the race and impact the generation coming after us. To nurture them with the wisdom that comes from experience because we have walked that path before. Let us give our future leaders an opportunity to catalyse societal growth by refining the learning curve and making education accessible to all. You too can Make A Change. Join us today!
