An ecosystem is a biological community of interacting organisms in their physical environment. In layman’s terms its a complex network of interconnected elements where each one has a role to contribute towards the existence of the other.
From the time we are born we enter the human ecosystem, as we are being educated we educate others too. When we acquire knowledge, build talent or some form of skill set, we navigate towards a career of choice, and take our position in the ecosystem as role models and educators in our own right. Hence playing our part in the human ecosystem. In Namibia sadly that ecosystem is heavily lopsided, high inequality and social injustices mean some make it but the greater percentage doesn’t. They remain caught up in a vicious cycle living from hand to mouth in streets marred by drugs, alcohol, gang violence and crime. You may ask, at least they have education right?
Lets zero in on the statistics for a bit, statistics show that of the total number of grade 10s that sat their exams in 2017, 43.8% did not make it to grade 11 and 60.7% did not make it to University. A total of 31596 young people out in the cold.Of the 50.4% that did not make the pass mark, 5% will go on to enrol in Namibia College of Open Learning where they can rewrite their subjects for a chance to make it. A few will be readmitted back to their old schools for a chance to repeat their grade and hopefully make it. And the rest? Its a broken society,a lopsided ecosystem.
‘The main hope of a nation lies in the proper education of its youth’…Erasmus. Are we doing enough as individuals, communities, society to help educate our youth?
” How can we understand children and youth in various African contexts as both makers and breakers of society… while they are simultaneously being made and broken by that society ..’’
´Honwana and De Boeck 2005
Ecosystems of Change 