CHANGE THE WORLD: ONE CHILD AT A TIME

Two songs by the king of Pop come to mind when the word change is uttered in conversation or boardroom meetings: Earth Song and We are Here to Change The World. Of course, the argument can be made that there are other songs by Michael Jackson or other artistes that capture the essence of change, but none come close as these two. 

Change is needed and sought after. It is this ever-shifting mirage that is so close yet so far. It is ever elusive but still we dream, at least, that seems to be the fact on ground, right?

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, what exactly is change? Why does the word get flung around so much and yet so little is known and seen about it? 

An act or process through which something becomes different: change. Quite simple, right? But what about implementation? It is important for us to understand what change means, to envision what this looks like, what it feels like and what it would bring about. It is also important to look at implementation; the paths, tools and gameplan needed to bring about needed change in whatever sector your interests happen to align with. 

Once you take out the time to sit and consider the meaning of change, what it entails and draw out an implementation map, several things start to emerge – two of which are prominent. You either realise that you are ill equipped for the change you want to see or you are over-equipped for it. Being over-equipped, if you were brutally honest during your evaluation, comes with a different set of problems that isn’t going to be covered in this post. If you are ill-equipped and accept this fact then your perception will broaden and you will be open to seeing the world around you for what it is and the need for partnerships. 

Over the years, there has been a global outcry for  change in the world. Quotes by well-known scholars, songs by globally recognised musicians, movies, books and so on, have been used as a medium to propagate this message. Many advocates of change focus, either on what the government should do differently, or on what they feel is the best solution to various societal problems. Interestingly, both postulations are good but they fail to put the responsibility on the shoulders they belong: You.

The state of the world is largely dependent on the individuals that have seen its deterioration but fold their arms, tap their feet and wait for someone else to solve the problem. Yes, the world will not change or see positive beams of hope  if you don’t pick up the slack and do what you can. 

There are 17 Sustainable  Development Goals outlined by the UN aimed at transforming(changing the world), and each requires the effort of individuals in a community. Nothing will be achieved without the combined effort of each and everyone of us; we all have a part to play and the sooner we get on with it, the better. The world we once knew is slippering through our fingers and we can’t afford to be lax about any of it. From world hunger, to wars, violence against women, contamination of water supply, deterioration of land, global warming

Quality Education is fourth on the list because this is a major problem in the world that needs to be solved fast. One of the most important routes to changing a nation is education. A nation grows by leaps and bounds when its young get access to quality education and are exposed to knowledge early enough so they can be the leaders worthy of tomorrow. If we draw out a graph of the problems currently plaguing the world, will you be surprised to find education as the root cause of several?

Bad governance is an educational problem. Corruption is an educational problem. If you chase the lack of clean water, soon enough you will find illiteracy as the cause. Why? Because everytime education is denied a generation or a group of people, an anomaly is created. If someone teaches a child early enough the disadvantages of say, stealing, or the advantage of being a good steward, will there be a problem with missing funds or accountability? 

You would have to answer that for yourself.

Do you have books you would want to share or resources you believe would help educate more children and end the scourge of illiteracy within the less privileged children in our society? Send it our way and we will make sure it gets to the hands of an eager to learn child. You can also sponsor a child through school or be our partner. Together we can change the world one child at a time through education.