THE CHANGE WE NEED Friday, 02 April 2010 15:00 There are two ways to build the tallest building in town. You can either tear down everything else other people are putting up, or you can concentrate to work on your project and others will help you put up the tallest building in town. For those who want quick fix, they go with the first choice, but because you and I want a quick fit we chose the second option. We all want to be like other successful people and communities but the question is, are we willing to do what they did in order to be successful? They all saw the courage, confidence and consistency to be bigger than simply competing with one another for smaller gains in there local area at the expense of bigger gains. We fail because everyone wants to be the only guy at the top. In order to climb up there you may need to stand on someone else shoulders or may need a friend to hold you up there not to fall. If you are the only rich guy in the whole village, your wealth may not last and you may not even enjoy it because everyone looks up on you. Our people will continue to suffer until we know the secret of investing in others. We also can change our way of living by investing in others, by promoting each other and by talking good things about others. If you check the money going out, we spend too much money to strangers and nothing comes back to us. Think about money we spend on auto insurance, telephone bills, and car repairs, home remodeling, cooling and heating, day care, calling cards, computers, hair clinic, nyama mbuzi the list is endless. A portion of this money can come back to us if we buy from business partners within our comminity.  Community empowerment is like a bank account. You keep on depositing so that when a need comes you will have something to withdraw. Let us open an account with someone we know and start depositing.We are like elevators, we can take people up or we can take them down.

PARTNERSHIP PRINCIPLE

We have heard about few ordinary people who came together with common goals and from their small idea, gave birth to successful organizations and institutions some of which many of us are beneficiaries. Many successful people confess that they are who they are today because the discussion they had with friends either in a club, break-room or a party gave birth to an idea that turned their life. We can also be successful like them if we are willing to do what they did to be where they are. We all have ideas and dreams but lack courage and confidence to take it to the next level because we lack someone to give us a boost.

Back in Africa when your car fail to start, we call friends to give you a "push". After the car rolls a few yards, you set your foot on the accelerator, release it to start the car and you are free to the enjoy the ride. If you are lucky to have a knowledgeable friend, you only need to open the hood for him to figure out that you need to fix a small wiring problem to get your car on the road. 

Many of us have had cars(projects) in our yard for years. You have done all the homework and the most difficult part, but you can't take off because you are lacking one small thing. You only need the courage to knock at your neighbor's door and ask for help, it could be a screwdriver or a tape. Something he will have no problem assisting you with. In fact, he will be happy that he was of great help to get you back on the road. You may not know how many good friends out there who are willing and ready to share ideas and information you need to kick-start your dream, to start your career or start a business you have always wanted. You may not know the opportunities you are missing just because you want to do it all by yourself. Challenging you and others to join existing Social Network Clubs within your neighborhood or start one. 

Oh! one small thing... 
You will only get what you need if you are also willing to share with others what you have. When you invest in other people's dream, other people will also invest in your dream