Africa's future depends on unlocking everyone's power to create change

Africa is blessed with vast potential. From the bustling Lagos, flourishing Dakar, vibrant Nairobi, thriving Cairo to the roaring Johannesburg, there is evidence of an established field tapping into this potential and creating avenues for others to unleash their superpower to unlock the continent’s potential. This is the field of social entrepreneurship, a strong pillar for the social and solidarity economy.

But despite the selfless efforts of social entrepreneurs in Africa, challenges persist on the continent. Some of these challenges are new while others are persistent. The continent is also grappling with existential global issues such as rising inequality, climate shocks, vulnerable systems, and fragile institutions. This new reality is Africa’s crossroads. Do we remain trapped in the unenviable trap of cyclical crisis, or break free to a more just, equal, and sustainable Africa? To do the latter, we must move from listing and detailing the challenges to outmatching them with solutions for the common good of all.

Citizens across all generations, sectors, faiths, and genders, no longer find it tenable to be spectators of change. They want to be creators of it. They want to be involved.

This is what is at the core of Ashoka’s vision of an 'Everyone A Changemaker' world. This is a world where everyone has the mindset, skills, network, and resources to bring about positive change. It is the conviction that solving Africa’s challenges cannot be left to a few individuals, such as Ashoka Fellows with cutting-edge solutions to pressing challenges, visionary leaders of institutions, or governments. Real, transformative change happens when everyone, young and old, profit-driven entrepreneurs, philanthropists, public service personnel, academia, faith leaders, farmers, traders, students, politicians, industry captains, parents, has confidence, freedom, and opportunity to drive positive change.

For decades, Ashoka Fellows have been leading the way in showing us the why, what, who, and how of this. In Southern Africa, Shona Macdonald designs, manufactures, and distributes mobility and body support devices that improve the posture and mobility of children living with physical disabilities.

In Francophone West Africa, Everiste Aohoui pioneered a holistic approach to efficiently address the issue of e-waste by creating public awareness and engaging the informal sector as environmental agents.

In Anglophone West Africa, Joy Tony is investing in enabling rural communities to re-imagine and realise their economic potential, creative abilities, and their ability to be self-sustainable, thus reversing the tide of rural to urban migration.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mama Vanessa Zawadi is investing in supporting women to embrace and lead agricultural initiatives, putting them at the forefront of solving the challenges of malnutrition, food insecurity, and building their economic independence.

In North Africa, Mohammed Amine Zariat has built a sports architecture different from the traditional models and integrated his curriculum in public schools, creating a new sports community approach with parents, teachers, trainers, and young people.

In East Africa, Dr Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka has developed interventions that empower communities living in and around national parks to manage their health and change their attitudes to be active stakeholders in wildlife protection. 

From these Ashoka Fellows, there is an insight that needs our urgent attention. Our transformation will come to naught if we rely on only a handful of extraordinary changemakers. Changemaking must spread into every space, homes, classrooms, sectors, boardrooms, villages, small towns, and big Cities.

Like the just-concluded CHAN where the stellar performance of national teams has been largely attributed to team playing rather than on a few star players, a changemaker Africa will require everyone to step up and be a team player.

This is what Africa demands. Not a continent waiting for heroes, heroines, and saviours from yonder, but a continent where everyone is aware that they have a right to participate and contribute as changemakers. As such, the Ashoka Fellows Summit in Nairobi from September 10 to 12 is not just a call to action for Kenya and Africa; it is a call to unlock the changemaker in everyone.