To say 2020 has been a whirlwind year would be an understatement. From the health pandemic to global civil unrest caused by systemic social injustices, more than ever before, we’ve all had to make some tough decisions about what kind of world we want to create with and for kids?
There are over 500,000,000 kids under the age of 14 in Africa alone, and they live in a rapidly changing world and have to adapt and evolve as societies continue to transform. Our vision at Ubongo is to equip Africa’s next generation with the educational foundation, critical skills, and positive mindsets to change their own lives and communities for the better. And this year forced us to fully embody the skills and mindset that we work to cultivate in kids.
We’ve had to be resilient, creative problem solvers, and curious… we’ve had to keep learning, ask questions, and work together… and above all else, we’ve had to lead with empathy, practice gratitude, and live life with purpose.
There’s so much that we’ve learned in 2020, and in the spirit of giving, we’d like to share some of those learnings with our community. In this Ubongo Learning Report, we (Ubongoers) share some of the challenges we faced in 2020, the opportunities that emerged, the decisions that were made, and what we learned from all of them. After all, Ubongo means brain in Kiswahili, and ours continues to learn and evolve.
Hopefully, you can gain something of value from our lessons that can inform the work you do – in whatever field you’re in.
Wishing you good health and a purposeful 2021,
Team Ubongo
