Challenge with all your might, think ‘out
of the box’ and never stop learning. These positive traits have earned praises
for Malawian teenager William Kamkwamba who has discovered that education is
foundational!
Kamkwamba was a simple farmer who had
not seen a computer nor certainly not many white people in his life. But that
did not prevent him from pushing boundaries, reaching for the stars – to create
his inventions that has made lives better for the people in his village.
Yet his brilliant inventions were
blacked out by the media. Why? Many of us, awed by Kamkwamba’s creativity and
sheer brilliance were stunned that the media had bot accorded due recognition
to this young man.
Bouquets to Ted Talks and Video for
airing his story as more and more people who believe in Kamkwamba;s creations have
started posting his story.
A little background into this young
lad.
Due to severe famine in 2001, Kamkwamba’s
family were so poor that they could not afford to fork out the $80 in annual
school fees That resulted in the teen being forced to drop
out of school a few months into his freshman year. For five years he was unable
to go to school.
Starting at 14, rather than accept his
fate, William started borrowing books from a small community lending library
located at his former primary school. He borrowed an 8th-grade American
textbook, “Using Energy: which depicted wind turbines on its cover.
He decided to build a windmill to power
his family’s home and obviate the need for kerosene, which provided only smoky,
flickering, distant and expensive light after dark.
First, he built a prototype using a
radio motor, then his initial 5-meter windmill out of a broken bicycle, tractor
fan blade, old shock absorber, and blue gum trees. After hooking the windmill
to a car battery for storage, William was able to power four light bulbs and
charge neighbors’ mobile phones. This system was even equipped with homemade
light switches and a circuit breaker made from nails, wire, and magnets. The
windmill was later extended to 12 meters to better catch the wind above the
trees. A third windmill pumped greywater for irrigation.
It's puzzling that the media has chosen
not to publish his story which can so easily inspire those who despite being
poor adopt a never-say-die attitude and are prepared to study and beat the
odds.
Due to its large outreach, the media can
so easily sway people’s thinking and therefore it must highlight powerful
stories that can transform lives. Bear
in mind that its IDEAS and PEOPLE that can make a far better world. You don’t need a string of degrees to shine
and what society needs are active citizens who are able to drum up ideas or
solutions to solve social problems.
Ideas that can help change lives must
never be thrown into the back burner
Like Kamkwamba, I too face challenges
over the last year or two with the local mainstream media.
Asa a social activist who is very much
in touch with the ground and one who focusses on finding solutions to growing
problems, I often come up with creative solutions that can improve the lives of
my countrymen here in Singapore.
At the end of September 2019, I wrote a
letter to a local newspaper proposing a ride-on solution to the government
grant of $200 a month to family caregivers.
Open Public Suggestion to the Singapore
Government: Caregiver leave can help
family caregivers a great deal
The
salient points raised by the writer Dr Kalyani Kirtikar Mehta are valid concerns which our caregivers face in
helping their loved ones cope better (Policies must proactively support caregivers, September
28, 2019. The Straits Times).
Caregiving is
taxing and a costly affair as most of these caregivers pay a heavy price:
Physically, mentally and financially.
As caregiving is
often a 24-hour task, many caregivers have to end of giving up their full-time
jobs.
Therefore, I am
sure our tireless caregivers will welcome the move by the Ministry of Health to
provide the much-needed Home Caregiving Grant of $200.
An important task
for caregivers is to bring their sick loved ones to hospital and clinics on a
regular basis. If a caregiver is employed, he/she will have to apply for
vacation leave to accompany their loved one for their medical appointment/s.
Therefore, to
promote caregiving as a noble task, I urge the policy makers to consider
providing a caregiver leave scheme of between 3 to 5 days.
Dr Kalyani Kirtikar
Mehta was spot on when she pointed out that if caregivers are supported by
other family members, the community and the government, they are less likely to
suffer burnout.
Unfortunately, as
caregiving is daunting, most, if not all the time, the caregiver role is often
not shared, leaving just one person to handle this unenviable task. It is even
more taxing, daunting if any caregiver has to look after a loved one with
mental disorders, and I am sure many of our Ministers and Members of Parliament
know this only too well. Thus, the support mechanism for caregivers must be put
solidly in place and be on-going.
If caregiver leave is implemented, I
have every confidence that other family members will step forward and share in
caregiving, thereby easing the load of a primary caregiver.
Idea rejected by the press, being
considered by the Ministry of Health
Regrettably, my letter was not published
even though it was a value -added suggestion. It is an irony that while the
press did not see it fitting to publish my letter, when I wrote to the Health
Minister at the Ministry of Health (MOH), The reply I received was encouraging.
MOH said that they will assess and review my proposal. Now if the caregiver
leave is implemented, wouldn’t thousands of our caregivers’ benefit?
High time our journalists are trained to see the
merits of good ideas and not take the easy way out by throwing it into the
back-burner.
Raymond Anthony
Fernando
