AFR I LABS
KUBATANA MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 2022
innovators, innovators sought out skilled workers, skilled workers sought out reliable affordable connectivity and communication channels. Civic actors sought out policy mak- ers, policy makers sought out funders, funders sought out innovators. We were quickly reminded that regardless who we were or what we did, we were part of a bigger whole; that the pandemic did not dis- criminate and we were all sus- ceptible to it whether it affect- ed our health, our work or our democracy. There have been pandemics before and there will be pan- demics again. The key differ- entiator will be if we come out of this latest pandemic solu- tion oriented and selfless in our quest for development. We have to work smart to be- gin to alleviate the systemic is- sues that brought humanity to its knees. Working smart will call for a shift in mindset to that of an innovator. The world needs more optimistic, networked, risk-taking, curious, empa-
thetic, creators who are open to learn. It will need systems and processes and resources built to grow and offer the agil- ity that innovators need. We will need to see infiltration of innovative thinkers in all spac- es, and while at it we will need to foster and democratise in- novation. Finding innovative ways to en- sure clean water and nutri- tious food for all, easy access to health facilities, access to information, movement of peo- ple and goods and services, protection and accessibility of data, access to electricity and internet for all; this is the de- velopment opportunity that the pandemic has created. The op- portunity is in embracing open innovation and tapping into our collective goodwill while the pandemic still affects us because history has taught us how easy it is to forget.
THE PANDEMIC PRESENTED MANY CHALLENGES, BUT WITH THOSE CHALLENGES CAME OPPORTUNITIES. A KEY ONE AMONG THEM WAS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR COLLECTIVE ACTION TO BUILD INCLUSIVE AND SUSTAINABLE
PROGRESSIVE ECONOMIES.
work. Although we think global in many spheres of our life and work, the pandemic brought home that we had to act local. The pandemic presented many challenges, but with those challenges came opportunities. A key one among them was the opportunity for collective ac- tion to build inclusive and sus- tainable progressive econo- mies. Governments sought out
The Coronavirus disease (COV- ID-19) pandemic and its effect con- tinue to rage on. While infection numbers have dropped in some parts of the world and travel re- strictions have been loosened, the pandemic continues to highlight the injustices and weaknesses that exist in how we live, how we trade, how we lead and how we build.
In our state of vulnerability, and in the midst of deglobalisation, we got a stark reminder of the need to focus on fundamentals. We had to figure out what to do when we could not fly out of our countries for medical care, what to do when our children could not go to school, how to run our businesses when employees could not come in to
BY NEKESA WERE Director of Strategy, AfriLabs
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