Africa as a whole is known for many things. Some are true, some are not and other things depend on who you speak to. From my own observations, there seems to be some sort of agreement that Africans generally don’t support each other. Although I am not aware of any scientific study that has accurately assessed whether this true or not, it is our duty as Africans to look at this issue and take the necessary steps to turn things around.
My article is not a blueprint or road map on how Africa can take this forward, since it is an extremely complex issue to overturn hence we will leave it to the powers that be. Today, I am merely raising awareness on the importance of supporting your fellow Africans from an individual perspective and how this can translate into prosperity at continental level.
For many people, genuine support is difficult to express partly because it involves investing time, emotions, effort and money into someone or something else. It seems as if in Africa everyone is practically on their own in the pursuit of happiness.
People are more likely to dismiss or curse someone else’s success because they believe that it was not deserved, wishing it had come to them. People spend so much time competing for material goods and standards of living that it becomes difficult to genuinely appreciate progress in another person’s life, including relatives.
Imagine that! This mentality is so rampant that when some Africans decide to be supportive, their support is exclusively reserved for foreign people or goods. May I ask, what is this deep rooted issue that makes us think that African people or goods are not worth our support? Is it because we think they are not as good as foreign items? Is it because we think Africa’s individual prosperity opportunities are so scarce that we can’t ‘help’ someone whilst we are struggling? Are we in such a fierce mode of competition that everyone including family is an opponent that has to be defeated to get to the top?
The answers to all these questions can only be truly answered by you. What I can say is that a supportive mentality will change your world. When you begin to realize that it is simply unnecessary, time-consuming and unproductive to be compete with anyone, your mentality will shift.
You will begin to realize that opportunities on this land are endless and it is not worth your energy to fight with others, physically or mentally. All you have do is your best and the rest will follow. At this point it becomes crystal clear that our true success is derived from what others do for us. Instead of repelling others’ success, we should be encouraging it and create a cycle of success for all involved. If we can cultivate this mentality from Cape to Cairo, the fortunes of our continent will change over time. Ultimately, our dreams of collective prosperity and total emancipation lie in our ability to stand together
