2017-May-19
Did you know? You can share this story using the social media icons on the upper left. Use the hashtag #WeAreCisco. You can also rate or comment on the story below.
The Africa of Tomorrow
BY JULIUS DANJUMA · TECHNICAL ENGINEER · UNITED STATES
I recently spent time at a camp in Yola, Nigeria, teaching algebra to orphaned children who have been internally displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast of the country. Like most of the facilities at this government camp, the classroom where I tutored was adopted from a woodshed and lacked the necessary enablers for a conducive learning environment: with only plastic chairs and a white board, no desks and textbooks had to be shared. The sweltering heat from outside pervaded the atmosphere inside the crowded classroom of nearly 40 K-12 students in each class. To be candid, it felt venerating; yet humbling.
What are the chances of receiving a solid elementary education in such circumstances? I believe the probability of a positive outcome is unlikely.
Fortunately, the problem of unequal educational opportunities is one that can be remedied. In short, all hope isn’t lost. More than anything, this volunteer experience has taught me that I can be a part of the solution. That I can engage with wider social issues and people of every walk of life to join Africans and friends of Africa in addressing this humanitarian crisis through innovation, corporate social responsibility, social entrepreneurship, and contribution.
Social media continues to misrepresent Africa as a place of disease, hunger, despair, and poverty. The continent is rarely portrayed as a vibrant future frontier for talent and entrepreneurship. However, Africans in diaspora are gradually challenging the negative stereotypes. Everywhere today, you see young Africans advancing innovation—functioning as brand ambassadors of Africa and connecting the continent to the international community.
In 2015, about 60 percent of the population of Africa was under the age of 25. Today, that number is higher.
Let that sink in for a minute. The prospects for job creation, business opportunities, wealth and investment appear more promising than they were only a decade ago. Meaning: the new and upcoming generation represent the torchbearers of inevitable development—providing opportunities, not just for Africans, but for everyone.
I am proud to be part of an organization that generously incentivizes its workforce to give back through our Time2Give program, which offers employee paid time off to volunteer. My recent volunteer experience in Africa makes me appreciate how I fit into the bigger picture of a technology company that continues to innovate in a way that establishes human bridges and connections to better the world.
Although you may not have the chance to visit Africa in person, I implore you to become a part of this connecting bridge. One way you can do so, is by offering your tax-deductible donations to the United Nations OCHA. You can also provide moral support by sharing this message with your network of friends and family.
I am further contributing by donating funds to the orphanage camp to go towards school supplies and skills acquisition trainings, from arts and crafts to textile design and tailoring—initiatives that will facilitate the rehabilitation and integration of displaced persons into society. Together we can intervene, conquer violence, heal the world, overcome global humanitarian crisis and advance human progress. It starts with you and I—here and now.
#IamAfrica. #IamCisco. #Wearetheworld.
Related Links
Connect everything. Innovate everywhere. Benefit everyone.
Share your thoughts!
Log in to rate and commentShare your thoughts on the story here!