TIA — This is Africa — or a Changing the Definition of the Future

Lost baggage was one of the themes of my recent trip to Africa. My backpack with all of my clothes was stranded on my way from Joburg to Mozambique. Later, when traveling from Kilimanjaro to Nairobi, I again arrived without my trusty Osprey bag.

At each turn, whenever I hit a snag, or there was a logistical challenge, I heard someone say TIA or “This is Africa.” Which as our travels continued I came to understand as:

1. In a developing part of the world, things will not run as smoothly as we are used to in North America or much of Europe.
2. An equivalent to “Hakuna Matata” no worries or don’t worry — this is Africa, and these things happen.
3. A mild pessimism about systems ever improving.

However, even as I was internalizing this, my perspective on what is Africa was changing dramatically with each twist and turn of our travels.

The most profound realization I came away with is the tremendous momentum of positive change in Africa.

Is there an effortful road ahead? No doubt yes, but the road is being paved, busses are leaving the station, and everyone I met is happy to be heading in the right direction.

The projects we visited in Mozambique, Tanzania and Kenya, spanned agriculture, education, healthcare, private enterprise, infrastructure, and finance. It is only with a the benefit of some distance and perspective that the scope of the tapestry of positive threads and forces is starting to crystallize. Here are some facts and observations to consider:

The population of East Africa is currently around 400 million and expected to grow to 500 million in the next decade.

• That region has tremendous access to natural resources, solar/hydro power, and agricultural capacity, however, unlocking those resources and scaling them a long journey still underway.
• Labour and talent exist in excess, however, training capacity is still limited (see next point)
• Mobile communication penetration is approximately 60% (voice and SMS) and growing rapidly however data services sits around 20%. Both are growing rapidly. Youtube, Whatsapp, and Instagram are the key drivers for data usage. Youtube, in particular, is a gateway to an incredible trove of human know-how and knowledge.
• A colleague visited the Aga Khan Academy in Mombasa Kenya and was delighted to share that students at that institution, who were from a cross-section of socio-economic backgrounds — expats to rural origins, are outperforming their global peers on International Baccalaureate exam performance. For those familiar with IB you will recognize that this is an amazing achievement. IB schools attract many of the best and brightest globally.

So what do I infer from this collection of data points?

I can share with equal parts of certainty and optimism that TIA is transforming into a term to describe a place of coalescing capacity and human potential being realized through many sparks of inspiration. The work of the AKDN is less about aid more about a collaboration to enable the innate human desire to move forward. That desire, I believe, is universal and in East Africa it is growing, and of equal importance, being fostered every day.

I have many more stories to share about my time in Africa, and I am hoping that you will read them with this lens of optimism. Every project and every story is not one of unbridled triumph. Many initiatives had significant challenges and hurdles to overcome.

That being said, the greatest source of optimism comes from the response to those bumps in the road — a patient and undeterred resolve by communities working for their children’s benefit in mind. This work is happening hand in hand with volunteers from abroad. All with a view to the long term and with a common certainty of purpose.

One of the lamentations of my generation of entrepreneurs is that we are only tackling small challenges — a better way to serve ads online or improved image sharing services, or a better burger — all efforts to be applauded but not the types of activities to inspire imagination and purpose on a grand scale.

In the work of the AKDN, you can find a generational mission to enable the capacity, passion and ingenuity of a continent. That sounds like a grand vision and, shockingly, one that we can all help realize.

What better investment of intellect, capital or effort could you hope for?