Understanding The Theodora Project - Part Two - Better To Be Lucky Than Smart

This was advice given to me early in my career. It highlights the reality that no matter how smart we think we are, no matter how hard we work, there is this intangible, luck, being at the right place at the right time. If you read the history of invention, you find all kinds of examples of one person coming up with the ‘great idea’ but it being too early or in the wrong circumstances. Then someone else comes up with the same idea (or maybe steals the idea), and they are in the right place, at the right time and become famous.

 

In the next few posts, I am going to go into a lot more detail why the concepts of the Theodora Project have the potential to be revolutionary and transformational. I want you to consider those two words very, very carefully – revolutionary and transformational. These are not hyperbole. I am actually using them with a lot of careful thought and analysis. AND, I am using them understanding that this because of a whole lot of luck and ‘being in the right place at the right time’ NOT because of any particular brilliance or vision on my part.

 

I want to give you some additional ‘environmental’ context so you will be able to more fully understand why as I go into the details why I feel what Theodora is doing is both revolutionary and transformational.

 

The history of institutional charitable work in Africa is one of incredibly large amounts of money leading to a not so incredible amounts of change. Much has been written about the arrogance of rich country donor activity (both institutional and individual) that has led to donor funds enriching the organizations managing the donations, enriching the government officials that are supposed to see to the application of the funds, or causing more damage than good because of a lack of understanding of local conditions. If you want a good book, that is easy to read, that covers this, I recommend, The Bright Continent by Dayo Olopade.

 

So how did I, a complete novice in anything related to social impact work and the continent of Africa avoid this. DUMB LUCK!

 

Luck meant that when I first went to Ghana, I couldn’t find any existing charitable organization willing to take my ideas under their wing. I didn’t realize what good luck that was at the time.

 

Luck meant that I ended up with Rotary International as my vehicle which allowed me to do my own thing.

 

Luck meant that when I went to Ghana for the first time, I knew so little I just assumed that I needed to go and meet a lot of people and ask a lot of questions. Who knew that is the kind of process that works against ‘developed country bias’.

 

Luck was also that my professional experience has always assumed that I needed to listen first before providing any advice. Good process when dealing with an totally different culture.

 

Luck was meeting the two individuals that pushed me into a completely different direction, a direction that ultimately has proven to have the greatest of social impact potentials.

 

Luck was having a pandemic that forced us (and the world) to go into a virtual mode and change from a classic training model to a more pragmatic learn by doing model.

 

So luck (or divine providence if you want to put that spin on it) is what has allowed this Theodora Project to transpire. In the next couple of posts I will be laying out the reasons why I think Theodora Project has the potential to be revolutionary and transformational.

 

Stay Tuned!

 

(But first a word from our sponsor de-I Sandia Outfitters Social Impact Tours – Do Good Even If You Don’t Return! – Don’t forget to make de-I Africa Transformation Corp your insurance beneficiary!)