An essay written for the GOI UNESCO essay competition 2012

1. ESSAY TITLE: CREATING THE FUTURE WE WANT
NAME: OMUSI DOMINIC OGBENEDE
Waking up in the morning did not give that feeling of a relaxed rest, not least because of
the mosquitoes who arguably felt more of a right to the ownership of the room; truth be
told, the habitat was better suited to this insecta clan. Shifting my body through the sea of
legs, finding space to stand up was a problem, especially when fourteen bodies were
lying in hibernation on the floor. Of Course, in such circumstances, bed bunks or beds
were absurd, mattresses the thickness of cheese slices were in order. Standing up, I
looked at the situation around me; I wonder how the leaders of the morrow are to be
trained in such conditions. I walk to the balcony and wonder about the tomorrow I want;
A time when students could be a decent number in a decent accommodation, a place to
relax after a day’s work.
Going to shower in the morning was different from going to the shower, because of
course, if cobwebs could flow through the sprinklers, it would quite easily have. Queuing
at the taps followed the set pattern of the morning, a large number of people to three
incredibly slow taps. Waiting my turn allows enough time to wonder about the tomorrow
I want; a day when the showers would run and water would not be an issue.
After the early drama of the day, I put on a bright smile and walk with expectant thoughts
of new knowledge to be gained. Getting to the lecture hall, or more appropriately, the
lecture stadium, I walk in to find that the entire hall is filled with the majority of the
students on their feet rather than on the termite stricken chairs. The lecturer comes in and
delivers an Olympic timed teaching session, the confused looks on students’ faces giving
him a sadistic smile. One thing is sure; nothing good will come out of a tomorrow forged
on this anvil.
On the way back to the hostel, the long traffic and little mountains in the name of road
bumps do not do much to ease a throbbing head. The stand still traffic however does give
me the chance to read the entire front page of newspapers being hawked; all I see are
stories of political unrest, embezzlement, biased court cases and bombings of the
innocent market people struggling to meet the estimated one dollar per day for survival.
Surely, the greatest culprits of social and political retardation feed fat in mansions while
rebel groups carry out their frustrations on the even more hopeless citizenry, often caught
between the cross fire of the law enforcement and rebel enforcement.
What kind of tomorrow do I want? First things first, at the rate at which things are going,
there may not even be a tomorrow! However, as long as there is life, there is hope. Yes, I
do realize the tomorrow I want, and it begins with me. A tomorrow when everybody
offers the little flame in his heart to bring forth a fire that will melt away the debris of evil
in society, this done by virtue of each man contributing his quota of work, love, honesty
and respect for the law.

2. I do not wish for a tomorrow of extraordinary things; for spaceships, levitating crafts or
machines that can duplicate Stonehenge. No, I wish for a time when food, water, shelter;
the bare necessities of life would be easily available to all willing to stretch out his/her
hand to receive it. I realize though, that sitting and wishing would be but a waste of time.
I can bring that imaginary tomorrow first into my life, by my actions and sacrifices, and
then, sharing the vision with others. For I wish more than anything, the tomorrow when
people resolve in their hearts to start the reformation from their selves. Surely, everything
else will follow.