David Sengeh writes:
images via David SengehAt age 23, Isaac Newton was sent home from Cambridge University when the Great Plague hit Europe, killing an estimated 100,000 people and closing Newton’s school. During this period, he developed many of his fundamental theories, including calculus, that would greatly shape modern science.
About 350 years later, nearly two million school-going children have been sent home from school because of Ebola, which has currently killed over 10,000 people. In addition to the almost one-year gap in schooling for young people, the economic implications of Ebola are catastrophic. However, similar to the way that artists, philosophers, mathematicians and scientists like Newton triumphed during and after the Great Plague, I am hopeful that young people will bring transformational change to Sierra Leone after this modern-day plague
My hope comes from a new generation of problem solvers who have continued to propose and develop solutions to various challenges through Global Minimum’s (GMin) “Hack-at-Home” bi-weekly design series. The Hack at Home program has engaged over 900 young problem-solvers across Sierra Leone, who have submitted ideas for tackling community challenges, using virtual communication platforms like Facebook and Whatsapp to share their prototypes and receive feedback from mentors...[continue reading]
