funmi olu
funmi olu
Sep 7, 2018 · 2 min read

Creating Paradise

The universe seemed to have been teaching me lessons. Lessons I had been too blind to see; or probably chose to overlook.

As a child I was pretty smart and precocious. I represented my school, church and community in competitions. Through junior high, I was on a scholarship from the national mathematical center, Abuja, Nigeria, in addition to several awards in English language. I had high and lofty dreams, just like every other wiz child. I thought I’ll go to the University, study hard, graduate with good grades and get an awesome job in a big organization. Some tall dream, right? Alas, life struck.

Years after, life keeps bringing my way people who invented paradise on earth. While I kept looking for an Eden to tend, I saw needs and gaps that gnawed at my heart. Nevertheless, I kept looking for a paradise to transport me out of this troubled earth.

First I met a community techpreneur, using tech and AI to meet employment and developmental needs in his community.

I gained experience on health systems strengthening. Then, on cancer research, and still, on medical laboratory testing. Again in public health. Yet I kept looking for a paradise to beautify these skills with.

Then I met another, who inspires me a lot. She is improving the maternal and child health sector in her corner of Eden.

Eventually, the eureka moment came. I met this young extremely talented professional. With a Ph.D in automobile engineering and an awesome proficiency in data science. He created his own paradise; using big data to provide solutions and training others to do same.

I learnt life is not about being happy, but about being impactful.

And I clearly saw that this earth is Eden, and we are the paradise creators. Eden is not paradise. We tend it to make it paradise, and until paradise is created, it would not need maintainers.

So here am I with my tools in my little corner of earth. Digging and toiling, breaking and making, pruning and snipping, grafting and restocking. Till I make earth an Eden and Eden a paradise.

There’s a creator in us all. If only we would listen and flow. If only we would look and see. If only we would learn. Your skills may not project you to paradise. Your skills might mean you are a paradise creator.

Let’s keep at the job, till we make our own Eden a paradise and till we transform our earth.

We can!

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