resources

I was socialized to believe that a worthwhile life is one lived in, with, and for community. How could I not? I mean I grew up in a family where we barely had enough to eat but when our relatives and neighbors came to ask to borrow maize meal, we would split the very last drop with them. Even though we had no idea what we would do tomorrow. It seemed it was all about surviving today together. The hope was that this same community would get you through tomorrow. And they did get us through many a tomorrow. Of course as I have lived in the United States for these past few years, I have found myself torn between my community-centric upbringing and the apparent self-serving approach prevalent in the west. The conflict comes from realizing that not every body is looking for the greater good even within the community-centric approach. I have had a few encounters where I was convinced beyond doubt that I ought to look out for myself out here. But I still feel drawn to a community way of life. In fact it is my hope that I shall get married to a continental African woman, as a way of supporting my desire for a community-centric life. (Continental African is a term that I have come across at Stanford to refer to those Africans who spent their formative years on the continent). This page is set up to share various opportunities and resources with my "community". 

This page started off as a resource page for my mentees. Those who know me will know that I was a big deal back home. So big that over the years I have had people refer to me as their mentor and/or role model. Of course being me, and with my unwavering air of self-importance, I took that to another level by populating a page where these mentees can access resources that were commonly requested. Resources from how to manage time and set attainable goals, to guides on how to apply to universities and pursue scholarship opportunities. At the bottom of the page, I had photos of my mentees. I have since decided to remove the photos because they served no other useful purpose, except perhaps to inflate my ego. But my ego is at a healthy, chubby size, and does not need to grow any further. But it is also because I realized that my mentees are also my mentors as the journey of self-discovery and growth is a collaborative exercise. We teach each other and we learn from one another, drawing from our collective experiences and wisdom to continue improving ourselves and contributing to making the world a better place. (By better place I mean more just, sustainable and empowering). But if the surprising "Thank You" messages I have received over the years are anything to go by, then the reach of my (and anybody's) influence goes beyond where I intend for it to go. As such, I am intentionally creating this resources page to be useful to a wide range of people at different points of their journey through life. Making the world a better place is a team sport and we need more people to play their part. 

While this page is a public resource, I create it with my tribe in mind. By my tribe I refer to people with whom we share a commitment to the mutual advancement of all. Some of my tribespeople are known, some are not. But we share this desire to aid and to be aided in an expectation-free but intensely reciprocal ecosystem. (No this is not a contradiction!) The resources were originally organized around the 4 pillars which I have decided to base my life on: Personal Development, Meaningful Relationships, Professional Excellence, and Financial Sustainability. But inspired by the work my team and I did on the Alumni Engagement Committee of the MasterCard Foundation Scholars Council in 2018-19, I have decided to organize them by the type of opportunity that might interest my tribespeople. Everything else is placed under the Other subsection. This section, as does this website more generally, draws on my personal example. However, it needs not be taken as an indication that I have found answers to these questions that we are exploring. I am very far from that point. In fact, I fear having a platform like this might create a cult-like following. I hope that never happens. Alright, I hope you enjoy. I welcome feedback and suggested resources to include at my e-mail: ramarea@live.com. 

This section is currently undergoing a renovation.