Strategy 2030

We were not rich, neither were we poor but my parents were not making enough money to send me to medical school.

Mama was a baker and dad worked with a private company as a business manager but still their salaries put together was not sufficient to support me and my brother into college at the same time.

 

In dismay, I watched as my childhood- dream of becoming a medical doctor vanished into thin air because of my socioeconomic and family background....

 

Look around you, all over the world, more children are forced to give up on their dreams, passions, goals because they lack the social capital, economic resources, etc to do so.

 

Despite graduating with a second class upper from a reputable Nigerian University in geology, in utter bewilderment, I watched as my classmates who barely graduated with a pass but with rich and influential parents in the society were employed in multinational oil companies.

 

It wasn't about meritocracy anymore....
It wasn't about my skills or talents....
It was about who you knew…
It was about the son/daughter of whom you are...
It was about parents conferring their social influence on their children...
It was all about an unequal distribution of resources ..... a social injustice to a certain group of
people ,the poor, the ethnic minority, the displaced children from war torn countries, there was no economic sustainability.

 

I am black, a minority ethnic group, but a child deserving of the good things of life particularly the right to healthy food and quality education.

 

Look not down upon me because of my skin colour,
because I am from a less well off family, because of my race, sex, gender or ethnicity,

I am a child deserving of a good education.

 

My heart aches for the girl child whom society has made to feel less of herself because of her sexism or gender
The injustice to the girl child whom society has condemned to a domesticated life
The injustice to families/individuals in developing or underdeveloped countries who have been displaced from their homes which is no fault of theirs but due to storms, flooding a resultant effect of heat waves from global warming…

 

My heart aches for the third world countries dying of hunger amid the growing food shortages associated with coastal biodiversity loss particularly for countries which depend on farming for survival. there is no ecological sustainability...

 

My heart aches for the young adult who in spite of life trajectories is resilient enough to further ahead into adult education but faced with societal limitations...

 

We must realise that the achievement of full human potential and sustainable development is not possible if one half of humanity continues to be denied its full human rights and opportunities.

 

Are our current practices or policies sustainable ?
Do they meet our needs without compromising that of future generations?

Are they endangering our lives and that of future generations?

Are our practices and policies widening the gap of inequality in society?

 

Our practices and policies must work for a significant increase in investments to close the gender gap and strengthen support for institutions in relation to gender equality and the empowerment of women at the global, regional and national levels.

 

Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls will make a crucial contribution to our progress in securing global sustainability and development.

 

Women and girls must enjoy equal access to quality education, economic resources and political participation as well as equal opportunities with men and boys for employment, leadership and decision-making at all levels.