My Learning Journal for the 01 April 2019 Session of QQI Community Development Course
By Vanda Brady
“Only Africa can build Africa.”
This session where a Poverty Inc video on Africa was shown blew me away. I have never looked at a Trocaire box differently since. In fact, my daughter asked why I threw it in the bin as soon as I got home that day.
At 45, I have to say I still have a lot to learn, mainly, I should never believe what I see or hear and I have to be more critical about everything before judging or believing in anything. It also gets into a deeper, more philosophical meaning that you and only you can make who you are. You are what you eat, so to speak.
It is the same with how migrant groups make of their community. Only we can build a peaceful community, only we can make things better. I now live by the advice of Bronagh Hinds who is a UN Peace Worker and Previous Participant of the Good Friday Agreement. She said, before your start a meeting, set these ground rules: “Leave your differences outside, let us be open and objective, and let’s discuss on things we can work on together because there is always one thing we all believe in.”
Only Africa can build Africa. Only we can make a better place if we work with the right people, with the skills sets needed to make a change. We can only do so much, but as the saying goes “every little helps”.