Community over Individuality

Community is a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common. Community is a very important aspect in our society. Over the years I have come to realize the importance of belonging to a community.

Community definition courtesy of Fabian Pfortmüller

Personally, I have been a part of various communities such as Swahili box organization, Sote hub, AUG Nairobi , Andela learning community (ALC) and DOT Kenya. Communities have given birth to many people, made them explore their full potential as well as shape them into the people they are today. School of life being the best school is structured within community and society in general. Everyone is a student of ‘the’ school of life.

Image credit: WePower

Ati deka metua xo o — roughly translated to ‘One pole cannot build a house’ (in the Ewe language, a native language spoken in Southeast Ghana, Southern Togo, Benin and Southwest Nigeria) stands true. In unity is strength, therefore, one should learn to work with others. Communities are constructed through interaction, belonging and attachment which are sites of “individualism and collectiveness”.

Community Leaders doing a group activity at the DOT Kenya training

The best investment you can make, is in people. As you think globally, also think locally ~Evan Green-Lowe

Reflect on the happenings in your surrounding. Are you taking a step to change someone’s life? It is not always about doing big things and being the hero. It takes a ‘hi’ ‘do you know about a, b or c?’. Soon you will find that people are the true wealth and happiness. That’s why I love to work with people in my community although sometimes they can be difficult.

I have learnt more about teams and the culture of collaboration through DOT Kenya’s cohort 1 participants in the Youth Leadership Program. The program has engaged us in various activities during the face to face meet ups where we were required to complete activities as a team.

DOT cohort 1 participants participating engage in a group activity

According to Janet Longmore, “It only takes one person to be a role model, and show others a path to opportunity”

That’s why communities exist to share ideas and to make sure we hold onto each other. Communities should mainly be relationship based so that we can foster the growth of others, which in turn will lead to growth in our society. People need each other, not in an exchange relationship, but in a bonding relationship. Not only for shared purposes, but for their own psychological integration. The way people stand up to tyranny is not each one alone but by drawing and relying on each other.

Participants sharing knowledge at a past DOT Kenya class at Humanity First training center in Mathare

If you want to learn more about communities and how they are run. Check out Art of Community by Jono Bacon

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Medium: Michael Anjia