OPPORTUNITY

The paradox:
As kids in a developed country such as Canada, we are taught to dream. Dream big, use our imaginations, paint a thousand pictures of what it is we want to be when we grow up. A doctor, lawyer, teacher, business owner… the possibilities are endless. I even knew a kid who wanted to become a house. We dream so big sometimes we don’t even understand when we’re out of scope. Our parents, grandparents, teachers and role models not only allow but encourage us to think big, aim high, go for everything we want. Our struggle becomes finding our passion amongst all of the possibilities handed to us. How many times have you heard of a Canadian University graduate say soon after receiving their degree “I have no idea what I want to do with my life.” So we travel, we work odd jobs, we volunteer, until we find out what really drives us. And then we figure out a way to go after that. The common thread in our reality, from dreamer kid to exploratory young adult to successful individual is the abundance of possibilities.
The reality is different for the citizens of developing countries. They are taught to dream, yes, but realistic dreams. They are encouraged to get an education, but taught to deal with disappointment when it ends after secondary school due to lack of resources. A loose analogy is that they are sometimes the best soccer player at the match but they’re restricted to being in the crowd because they do not own cleats. They may have a passion but they are lacking in possibilities. Lacking in opportunities. And these opportunities do not necessarily take the form of coins and bills; they are often a lack of inspiring role models, solid family structures, successful private sector entrepreneurs, technologies that can connect them to the world, engaging and practical education curriculum, good governance that promotes security and growth, proper health care infrastructure, and peaceful conflict resolution.
The emerging youth in Africa make up over half the current population. By sheer numbers alone they will inevitably drive the greatest changes over the next few decades. We need to recognize this as a massive amount of potential and ensure that we are all connected in sharing opportunities. Our world depends on us recognizing, in the words of Obama as he addressed the Ghanaian parliament this July; that we now live in a world that consists of far more connections than boundaries.
This is realization we need to make: we need to walk off the soccer pitch after tripping over our own feet for the fifth time, hand the cleats to the young star lacking in proper footwear but brimming with potential and smile knowing that the team will now be more successful and we can now move onto finding where our own real talent and passion lies.
Let’s end this era where we show pictures of poverty and paint landscapes of helplessness to try and get people to care and start a legacy where caring come from pursuing opportunities that release the potential in each other.
“the world doesn’t need more salty water. It needs more inspiration.”

That's just a little insight to where my head space is right now regarding development :D