Space and Neighborhood
A conducive environment enhances entrepreneurship and life expectancy.
Imagine two people who used to live in the same environment. After a while, one moved from the environment, Ijora-Badiya (a disadvantaged neighborhood), to a boy's quarters in Amen estate (upscale).
Suppose the two, Richard (Amen estate resident) and Maja (Ijora-Badiya resident) meet at a party in Ikeja few years later. Below is their conversation:
Richard: Hello chief. How are you doing?
Maja: I dey oh. Na manage I take reach here. No electricity in our street for three months. We dey owe Alhaji three months rent and na problem to pay development fees at Chidi and Awa's school.
Richard: so, what is the plan?
Maja: why do I need to plan. It's a waste of time.
Richard: How do you mean?
Maja: Iya Silifa slipped to the pit latrine last week. Still recovering at the hospital. Chinedu was hit by a truck in Apapa wharf while hustling for his master's container. Still on crutches.
Richard: these reasons are not enough for you to refuse to plan.
Maja: Mr. Dimeji with all his plans and education committed suicide after his pension can not support his family. One of his daughters became a prostitute and the first boy is a drunkard when he’s not gambling.
Richard: how can all these happen in the few years I left the neighborhood?
Maja: You will not understand. It will surprise you that even people don't live long anymore. They are stressed and depressed.
Richard: I think I have taken a lot for granted and should visit soon.
Maja: I hope I will be there...
by Bamidele Adekunle @badekunl
Inspired by a conversation with Richard Bankole on August 25, 2018. Updated May 18, 2019.
This was truly a heart-touching and thoughtful read. Thank you for sharing this conversation between Richard and Maja.
I have read the piece and it reminds me of Kebri Dahar and how I can relate to its contemporary state of affairs. Ethiopia, despite her many economic and political challenges, marginalized the Somali Region of Ethiopia for quite long time. Anyone who visits can see the difference between this region and other parts of the nation. In this regard, environment matters a lot not only for entrepreneurship but also for thinking straight.
Two key components appear make part of your piece.
The first one is that one needs to appreciate the privileges they have including clean water, fresh air and so on. The other component is to do with 'being trapped' in the smoky reality of poor environment. It takes a lot of energy to get out from incapacitating surroundings; your people, the neighberhood, and places you were born and raised--as if this is the only world that exists.