[kictanet] ICT Opportunity alert: Will the true entrepreneurs stand up?

[Alex Gakuru]

Reading interesting debate.
On Dec 20, 2007 9:35 AM, Al Kags <alkags at alkags.com> wrote:
>
> I am concentrating on play time because in my view the focus for education
> has got to change. While it used to be that since Kenyatta's days we were
> preparing our children to be doctors, engineers, lawyers and other nice
> professional jobs like those, our focus today has got to literally take
> advantage of everyone's strengths and build on them.

But parents should avoid burdening their kids with their own childhood
inadequacies and grown up failures! Since you walked to school so now
your kids must never walk? Chauffeured to school everyday eh? Then
they grow up unaware of the real life of traffic jam in the city in a
matatu... ( I know some who have never been the down side of Moi
Avenue - and they are boast about it...)

You never owned a TV, so you buy one with DVD player for each of their
bedrooms? Just too baaad ... porn on their while you are watching
politics on your living room set:( You failed to make it to Uni and
your demand them to become lawyers....)

> So a child has no aptitude for the sciences. Why should we invest so much in
> forcing them to go through it in successive regimes and wonder why they fail
> in life - even though they can say write very well, or paint very well - can
> we not use those key talents as they are?

Though it's not just kids who do not find sciences exciting. Solution
interest innovation (e.g. Science Cafes http://cafescientifique.org/ )

> But more importantly is that in preparing our kids to be problem solvers and
> innovators by allowing them to and supporting them to develop their own
> individual strengths, can we then build a culture of people who (i'll say it
> again) solve problems.

I'd say the first thing would be to solve "communictation" with them.
Does one "talk to them" or "talk with them". Otherwise they learn and
grow up to be "authorities" never listening but just handing out
judgements. A joke from my high school Principal "Before I tell you
what I have decided, you have anything to say:)"  What was the point
of saying anything?

Leadership-wise, this translates to a political culture of "I am the
Boss, do as I please else I will make sure you fail..." Culture of
opaqueness, deceit and corruption to sustain high class. In fact,
there was a time the most corrupt expected to be praised for
"kujichaniaring." I seriously beleive "The Future is Open"  full stop.

> Can it be more emphasised that solving problems and innovating is what I am
> pushing for?
>
Problem solving:
To solve any problem one must home in on the root cause.
Stop treating symptoms, concealing bad signs with lotions.
Get to the laboratory, subject the problem to analysis.
When you find the cause, scream out loud SOLUTION!

Innovation:
Tough as it is, still innovate amidst extreme opaqueness.
But then one may rightly argue that ways round it is itself
clever innovation... I like skunkworks!

Enjoy!