Do Not Ignore Your Power in Changing the Story of Tomorrow

Don't IGNORE YOUR Power in Changing the Story of Tomorrow: Inspiration from my East Coast Tour in the US. Exactly 7 years ago, I took a plane trip from Washington DC to Chicago, Illinois O'Hare after listening to Barack Obama after the Nelson Mandela Washington Fellowship Session at Rutgers University. Rose & David were kind enough to take me on the Great Civil Rights trek and we moved all through the east coast through St. Lois Missouri (sleep), Memphis, Tennessee, Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama, Selma, Montgomery County Courthouse, Atlanta CNN HQ, Savannah, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Charleston South Carolina, North and back to DC.

In many ways it was a great travel experience, but what kept occurring to me was the role of individuals, a single person, clergy, church, choir, activist, and especially the role of young people in the civil rights movement. Rosa Parks, an individual, adamant that her rights must be respected, helped in a small way with the journey of racial integration. It was young people that forced racial integration on eating places. And in learning institutions. It was them that made demonstrations possible. It was them that helped organize. They too suffered a lot.

Sometime, in the face of national tragedy, or difficult, like joblessness (Kenya now leading in unemployment in the region), or corruption, or curtailed lending to private sector, we really must begin to see the role that individuals, that YOU and I, that a small group, that a company, a single Cabinet Secretary, a banker, Rugby Team, a single Athlete, a student, an entrepreneur, can help to play to make things better in our country.

In my conversations with investors and banks in the last couple of years, I have been clear that I really think our singular agenda is to help create jobs for so many young people, create wealth, expand opportunities for young people at Questworks and beyond and also inspire self-belief and confidence at mentorthon. I ask us to find a small role to play. And never to forget our place in the midst of what's likely to be despair now. It's much more bearable that way. And much more productive that way.