Quoting Sir Albert Einstein who said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them”. The problem of poverty in Uganda and Africa is a problem of low productivity. To empower the people whether rich or poor is the way forward for increasing economic transformation. I bring this psychoanalytical program as a mind-set change program to empower the poor of Africa. There is a line in the lyrics in of Elton John’s song which goes, ‘..its enough for kings and vagabonds to live their very best…” empowerment is a set of ideas and information which seeks to make people live to their full potential other factors constant.
Erich Fromm a German psychoanalyst in 1934 proposed the concept of psychoanalysis to help people overcome the feeling of powerlessness and hence reduce tendencies towards ignorance and inaction in as far as increasing productivity in society. Erich Fromm said, “Psychoanalysis is required in order to understand how the individual personality functions, in otherworld’s to understand oneself”. He goes on to say, “the fact that the bourgeoisie person is unaware of the psychic impulses that determine his behaviour finds his counterpart in the fact that he is unaware of the forces that determine economic development in a market driven/regulated economy and that they appear to him as impenetrable forces of fate”.
This program seeks to enter the mind of the individual human being and unlock the forces of failure and also stir up the forces of change and understanding of the social conditions that keep someone unproductive or poor in the real sense. Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia once said, “in the very real sense our continent in unmade, it still awaits its creation and creators. It is our privilege to rouse the slumbering giant of Africa..” In my nine books on anti-poverty I seek to synchronise the anti-virus against poverty to help an individual in to understand their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The aim of my intervention is to empower while educating and instilling those strategic collective values, norms and choices to make us look ahead into the opportunities of life and exploit them for our own socioeconomic transformation whether in business, careers, dreams and social relations.
The current challenge as Erich Fromm observed way back in 1930s of the current state of powerlessness of adults he notes, “War, suffering and poverty are seen as fixed and unchangeable features of human coexistence and any attempt to tamper with these foundations is viewed as stupidity or a lie”. The failure of society in Uganda and Africa must be known to stem from poverty and this has increased the dependence burden vis avie the dependence syndrome which many enjoy most to remain unproductive, increased illiteracy, depression, disease, hunger, conflicts, war and more suffering in various ways. Institutions become the people they hire to the extent that even government interventions are seen evidently lacking in the service delivery and priority budgeting and planning for the country. But this failure comes from the quality of people in the society because from the same misinformed powerless people, leaders are elected and influenced to think in certain patterns which often are ineffective or inefficient.
Erich Fromm says “the lack of a correct social theory and as far as the individual is concerned; psychological theory is an important source of the feeling of powerlessness. Theory is a prerequisite for action.” I have written and published the following books for this social economic intervention to inspire a generation; the 1st Edition is titled; “The Nature of Poverty In Uganda [Why Uganda is vulnerable to poverty]; the Second Edition is titled; “The wisdom with Poverty” [The Responsibility that comes with poverty]; Third Edition is titled; “The Volatility of Doing Business in Uganda [Threats & Opportunities in Our Economy]; the Fourth Edition is titled; “Making Institutions Work in Uganda” [Awakening the Cheetah Generation]; the Fifth Edition is titled, “A Good Education Against Poverty” [Harnessing the Human Potential]; the Sixth Edition is titled; “The Sick Woman of Africa” [Equipping Uganda’s Powerhouse]; the Seventh Edition is titled, “Money the Root of Evil” [The Poor man’s trap]; the Eighth Edition is titled, “The Sick Old-Ager of Africa” [Old Age is Gold Not Cold]; the Ninth Edition is titled, “The Sick Youth of Africa” [Harnessing the Youthful Potential].
Finally, the word capital stems from the Latin word “capita” which implies the “mind”. The biblical Proverb (23:7) says, “as a man thinks, so is he…”. The quality of the human minds is determined by the quality of what they put into their mind or brain by the senses of sight, taste, feeling, hearing and smell. This program is going to unlock the powers of the mind of individuals to understand the social conditions for productivity and success in life. Follow me through the next issues and airings on the Galaxy Media channels and my personal broadcasts.
Ahebwa Samuel is an author of the nine (9) Anti-Poverty Empowerment Books, Founder and Director of The Anti-Poverty Empowerment Program Uganda (TAPEPU), a Research and Management consultant, Mentor and Entrepreneur based in Kampala, Uganda (East Africa).
By Ahebwa Samuel, Author, Business and Education Consultant
Follow or contact the author on Facebook (Ahebwa Samuel Author), twitter (@Ahebwalindasam) watsap (0703612555) and email: ahebwasam@gmail.com and contacts; 0782655186, 0752983006.
Fore More – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UOnWbvqLSM
