Catalyzing hope for Africa: Are we there yet?

Recently, in my usual run-down through my social media platforms, I came across 2 LinkedIn posts that caught my attention.??

The first post was about Kelvin carter, a photographer who had taken a heartbreaking image of a child during the 1993 famine in Sudan, with a vulture standing on guard waiting to either attack or wait to feast once she died The Vulture and the Little Girl. The story had raised a lot of controversies and years later the photographer unfortunately passed on by suicide.???

The second post was in bold “Avoid pity stories about Africa” and there I sat thinking this is a bombshell!??

The first post reminded me of the suffering we undergo as Africans, did it shock me? No, these are the stories we engage with every, a depiction of reality: suffering and problems.? The second post on the other hand totally raised curiosity and afterthought that led to this blog.???

It was interesting to read the arguments, experiences and discussions on the second post. And as a fan of Chinua Achebe, I commented, “Until the lion learns how to write, every story will glorify the hunter”??

While this statement may seem controversial, it captures the power dynamics in the art of writing.??

How many conferences, podcasts, documentaries or blogs have you watched or come across that capture heartbreaking stories of problems and suffering of people particularly in Africa? And in this context related to humanity???

How many presentations, blogs, documentaries have you shared that only capture the sad state of situations???

Just like any other society, Africa has problems. So, do we stick to the narrative of pity???

While this is used as a ‘bait’ for funds, how or what is our role as Africans in trying to solve the problems and sufferings in our own society.??

How many Africans/ CBOs/ NGOs have and continue to provide solutions for the many challenges Africans face today??

While it is critical to share information, stories and experiences in the rawest quality as possible, I would wish to challenge all of us to avoid this script that is now too familiar.??

How do we then challenge the narrative???

DIVERSIFYING OUR VOICES??

Instead of sticking to the pitiful narrative, why don’t we share stories of the remarkable steps and contributions towards solving the problem.??

Read these two statements:?

“A whole village die of hunger” and “Villagers rise against hunger’’?

Between these two possible headlines, which is most likely to be broadcast or picked as a newspaper, blog, documentary or conference title?? Even on our local news broadcasting channels. I will let you decide on that!?

“A whole village die of hunger”?

The focus will be on the number of villagers who have died and continue to be at the risk of dying. While it captures the reality, it diminishes any of the contributions towards helping the situation.? This will only show the sorry situation in that said village. It will evoke emotions of pity, anger and sadness with no solution towards curbing the problem.??

?In the second headline:??

“Villagers’ rise against hunger”??

Just by the title, there’s already hope. Hope for humanity, collaboration, determination and resilience amongst the villagers. This conveys a better tomorrow and the possibility of overcoming more adversities.? Additionally, curiosity is raised, the how? How have they managed to do so? These are some of the questions that will make contributions and give perspectives that may even be applicable somewhere else other than the said village.? This gives a positive outlook worth telling as it recognizes effort as well as suffering.?

So, instead of the pity story that paints a picture of objects of pity, this paints a picture of agents of change. It clearly balances empathy and rationality.??

Recalling our journey as Youth and Urbanism, at the African Summit 2023, it was remarkable that the convening displayed unity, hope and progress towards a sustainable future. In one of the sessions, young innovators, policymakers and other enablers all striving towards tackling the pressing issue of climate change were brought together. This revolutionary approach greatly helped in bridging the gap between all these actors in the sector. It uniquely combined the expertise of policymakers, the support of enablers, and the innovative spirit of youth, creating an intricate web of insights and solutions. Importantly, the engagement revolved around a powerful message: tackling climate change together.?

You might now be wondering how did this display a story away from pity? Well, the conversations alone were a cornerstone and foundation towards an inclusive perspective and future.???

AMPLIFYING OUR VOICES AT AFRICAN CLIMATE SUMMIT

One inspiring aspect in the summit was the conversations that highlighted the importance of youth-led initiatives in combating climate change. It was encouraging to have young people from different African countries, this included climate advocates and activists. Their presence represented the willingness of the youth towards crafting sustainable and adaptable solutions for climate change.??

At Youth and Urbanism, we have climate advocates who continue to be instrumental in our journey towards sustainability. In their capacity they continue to advocate for collaboration and inclusivity. They are our change makers and agents who have solved and continue to play a role in solving climate related crisis.??

Furthermore, we promote innovations towards problem solving and We hope to continue sharing stories, experiences and perspectives with a Lense of solution orientation rather than pity campaigns. It is a call for us to voice our voices, diversify and amplify with inclusivity and sustainability.??

Once again, “Until the lion learns how to write, every story will glorify the hunter”?

I submit!!?

Written by;

Ruth Akoule?

Planning Monitoring Evaluation Research and Learning

Youth and Urbanism?Organization