A third of the population of Africa (1.4 billion) lives in poverty. This means that 1 in every 3 Africans is poor. In my country Kenya, approximately 10 million people cannot afford 200 shillings a day. It gets worse. Less than 10,000 people own more wealth than the entire Kenyan population. An unexplainable wealth gap is not common in Kenya alone but in all African nations.
Instead of blaming our leaders, we can begin a way forward by accepting that our problems are multidimensional. Terrorism, ignorance, neocolonialism, and lack of education are some problems we can mention. There’s no one fix-all solution for all our problems.
Referring to great nations and past civilizations, I see our quest for a better Africa and individual countries lying on good leadership, relationship, mindset, and faith. I desire to go deep into these 4 matters, educate people on them, and inspire people by practicing what I preach. Let’s first dissect them one by one
Leadership
History can best reveal the difference between good and bad leadership. The rise or fall of a territory with millions of people or a family of four depends on the leader. Every institution that experiences peace and prosperity has a good leader at the helm.
We can’t forge our way to the same prosperity, we MUST follow the steps of those who achieved what we desperately want. We need leaders with a selfless vision and direction. Vision gives us an image of what we can achieve with our resources and inspires us to do more. Direction gives people the certainty of achieving the vision.
We also need leaders skilled in resource management. Power is the true test of leadership. How a leader manages resources reveals his true intentions. The majority of Africans, including those in positions of power, underutilize the resources we have. We need leaders, at all levels, who value and genuinely manage these resources for the benefit of others.
Proper usage of power is there close to resource management. The power given by the majority should be used to benefit the majority. It is treasonous to take advantage of people’s power for self-interest.
We need leaders who will use public office power to serve the people. We need fathers who will be available for their families. We need businesspeople who will use their expertise to serve the people with extras.
Read: Confident People Have These Skills
Relationship
Relationships might appear soft but it is a sword cutting both sides. Men and women have a side that wants to look fierce and dangerous and another that is soft and tender. Relationships solve the issue of the latter side.
We need relationships and we need to know how to navigate in them. As Robert Green would say, do not build fortresses to protect yourself-isolation is dangerous. Relationships come in the form of friendships, acquaintances, and husband/wife. They give us a sense of purpose and belonging. We are motivated to live a meaningful life when others are journeying with us.
Money can buy what we lack in our lives but relationships can buy the same things almost free of charge. Relationships give us opportunities that would otherwise be impossible to get void of the relationship. History records many people who rose in the ranks of power due to their proximity to those with power.
Aside from getting us resources, relationships are the best stress absorbers. Is there a better way of finding comfort than venting your troubles to another man? The need for relationships has inspired big companies like Facebook, X, TikTok, and others. We need to know how to benefit from relationships or else most of us will wander into depression and stagnation.
Mindset
Sheep can beat lions anytime provided the leader of the sheep is a lion. Did the sheep become carnivores overnight? No. Their minds shifted from gullible to assertive. Africans need a similar shift in mindset.
What you become is more important than what you get. The awareness of an abundance mentality is the antidote to ignorance and poverty. Those who have studied prosperity can agree that wealth is attracted to a specific mindset. We must learn to have a mindset that attracts riches to our lives. Having this mindset does not do away with life challenges. Instead, we get equipped to face and overcome the many challenges that come our way.
If we put things into true context, the challenges in Africa are just an opportunity to grow but it takes a certain mindset to see challenges as opportunities. We do not have to take 40 years to Canaan when we can take 11 days. The speed we need to arrive at the promised land is hidden in our minds. This mindset has worked for other people. Now, we have the responsibility of making it work for us.
Read: The Power of Persistency
Faith
Purpose is at the core of leadership, relationships, and mindset. Faith is the foundation that holds together purpose. If you have arrived here, you must have lived long enough to know that life is more than we see.
God has a divine assignment for everyone. God revealed to Jeremiah that he had ordained him to become a prophet before he was born. Just like the prophet. we must have faith to believe we have a divine assignment.
A determined mindset can only do so much but a mindset backed by faith can achieve anything. Faith is the fuel that never runs dry because its source is God. Our mindset will inspire us to be diligent but our faith makes us tap into the creative imagination. Some solutions don’t need the brute approach. Some need creativity that comes when we tap into our faith dimension.
A strong mindset can beat a situation but faith can beat the situation and self. Many of us have learned habits that keep us small from our fathers. Without faith, we will most likely be small like our fathers. Faith helps us to rise above beliefs, habits, and thought patterns that have kept us in bondage for years.
We have spoken about a great Africa for too long. Some countries started later than us and today they are greater than us despite having better resources than them. If they can do it, then we can do it. We must look deep into our leadership, thoughts on relationships, mindset, and the power of faith.
2 Responses
A nice articulated read
Nice Read.well.thought