Let us all answer the clarion call of #MakeEducationFashionable.

0n the 2nd of December every year we are invited by the proponent of #MakeEducationFashionable Prof Kgethi Phakeng, affectionately known as deputy mother to participate in her campaign of #MakeEducationFashionable. This year (2022),  we are yet again, invited to the clarion call as young and old who have had an opportunity to graduate from any Institution of Higher Learning anywhere in the world.  We are invited to the humanizing experience, and that is to say, to tell our stories of how we graduated to inspire hope in someone’s life and change the cause of their life. In what follows, I narrate my view in support of the most powerful educational online campaign yet in the Global South led by the most influential human being in education in Africa, and of course leading the top institution in Africa, University of Cape Town. 

Stories for many centuries are what has shaped the world and will continue to do so for many centuries to come. I am of the view that, we should all tell our stories to shape our own narrative, to learn to write, and support the quest led by our deputy mother, a woman who without a shadow of doubt is a beacon of hope and source of inspiration to many across the globe. If we do not tell our stories, someone will, for the most part, they may not give proper account of our story. We have nothing to lose by sharing our stories. In her own words, Prof Phakeng suggests that, “ I strongly believe in education being an equalizer; I am passionate about education and even more so about young people.” By sharing our stories, we will be educating others, as education is not confined to the classroom or the lecture halls.

Frantz Fanon in his book titled “The Wretched of The Earth,” highlights that, “each and every generation, out of relative obscurity, must discover its mission, fulfill it or betray.” Prof Phakeng has discovered a mission that she is mobilizing all of us to contribute to. She is challenging us to leverage 21st century digital technologies to tell stories in our own way and on our own terms. As and when we are sharing our stories, our siblings and extended family members, people from our communities, our nations, and the world at large will be inspired by our narrative. I am of the view that, as Cassper Nyovest said in 2016, “Kusasoba Lit,” on the 2nd of December.

In the context of the Global South, there are many stories which were told and are still being told, the unfortunate part is, they are mostly told by the outsider and/or from western colonial lens and perspective. This clarion call by Mma Phakeng demands people to own and lead their narrative, to shape discourse, and do so with the mandate of inspiring others as well as sharing a positive and nuanced narrative of how one can navigate the spectrum of higher education.

We must tell our stories, we must post them everywhere and anywhere we can. We must post them on 21st century digital media platforms leveraging on 21st century digital technologies which include but not limited to LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, WhatsApp and many more, and we should tag @FabAcadami and use the #MakeEducationFashionable.  Let us on Friday 2nd December 2022 tell our own stories. As and when we tell our stories, let us remember that it doesn't matter how long or short the story is, what matters is that you would have had the courage to share, and that is good enough. After all, the story is still unfolding, the best is yet to come, and the best pages of our lives are yet to be written.

#MakeEducationFashionable

#TowardsTotalEmancipation

Mafule Moswane writes in his personal capacity

He is an ambassador of #MakeEducationFashionable,  a creative writer, thinker, leader, researcher, activist, revolutionary lover and aspiring singer.