There are moments in history where fidgeting on the edges will not cut it. These are the days of seemingly insurmountable wicked problems. Where development (in whatever form) is under threat. There are more people falling into poverty than getting rich. We are in trouble. Our unemployment figures are too high. We face the return of nineteenth century diseases. Our cities are becoming like growth points. Others have given up and are urging young people to leave the country.

What will it take? I hear you ask, Big dreams. Nothing else but big dreams. The task of nation building is not a walk in the park. Every country needs dreamers to move forward. The so called developed (forget the contested paths) regions owe it to their own big dreamers who have turned ideas into action. We have had sprinklings of our own big dreamers but they are too few for the task ahead of us.
But what is the dream you may ask. Ours is a dream for an inclusive society where every family, I repeat every family, has adequate access to affordable healthcare, education, decent housing and is food secure. Decent jobs for all. We desire a growth model/framework that can satisfy these conditions. Every productive sector has to grow by at least 50% within the 24 months. These are not moments for bickering. We have an urgent task before us- to rebuild a nation. The task is too important to be left in the hands of a single political party or the entire political class.

Who else do we need to realize this dream? All of us I would say. But we also need those with the passion to dream of new ways of doing things, new ways of organising and innovations. These are the big dreamers. Men and women who will see an opportunity in a literal desert. Those who see opportunities where others see otherwise. Those who would rather stay despite the obvious challenges. For these big dreamers quitting is not an option. They have learnt or learn over time to combine faith with action. They will complain, as they should, about the need for better framework of doing things but they will soldier on.

We need Big Dreamers in our politics- those who will say enough- we can be better than the current status quo. Those focused on serving the nation instead of narrow interests. Ours, can’t be a politics of trading insults or proving others to be wrong- it has to be about big ideas. We need big dreamers my dear Dali- those who are passionate about transformation and creating an inclusive society.
We need a new generation of big dreamers in business. Those who are focused on doing things right, creating great products for local and international consumption. They will be bent on building multi-generational businesses.
We need institution builders across all sectors. Institutions that will defend our right to exist, our democracy and our diversity. Institutions that will help nurture our BIG dreamers. These institutions should create a dynamic ecosystem to help build a new generation of BIG dreamers. Let me be clear here- BIG dreamers are not looking for a handout but they could do with the right policies, affordable funding, a capable workforce.

I have hope. I have seen glimpses of Big Dreamers especially in our agriculture. They have embraced scale. Many of them have been taught on the tenets of hard work and a Calvinist work ethic. I am optimistic that the future is bright.
The Big Dreamers will carry the day.