What If We’ve Been Solving the Wrong Problems, the Wrong Way?

Did you know what systems thinking is — and how it can transform entire communities?

It’s not just a theory.

It’s a mindset.

A model.

A movement.

And it’s how we’ve turned real challenges into real, tested solutions across Africa and beyond.

But What If We’ve Been Solving the Wrong Problems — the Wrong Way?

In a remote village, I watched a farmer quietly discard spoiled cassava.

Not because she was careless.

Not because she lacked skill.

But because there was:

❌ No energy to dry it ❌ No tools to preserve it ❌ No access to markets

That spoiled cassava was not just wasted food.

It was wasted income. Wasted nutrition. Wasted climate opportunity. Wasted youth employment potential.

This wasn’t a farming issue.

It was a systems issue.

The Problem? We’re Solving in Silos

Over 16+ years working across over 50+ countries, I’ve seen a pattern.

We try to tackle poverty, climate, unemployment, energy, and food in isolation.

But life is not siloed.

It’s connected.

And so are the solutions.

Systems Thinking = One Solution, Many Outcomes

Let me show you what we’ve seen on the ground:

✔️ Want to fix youth unemployment? Train them in solar, like we did in Nigeria, where youth now install systems for schools and businesses.

✔️ Want to reduce food waste? Use solar dryers — as we did in Uganda, Cameroon, and Nigeria — cutting spoilage by 50%, boosting incomes, and improving food safety.

✔️ Want to protect public health? Empower women-led cooperatives in Uganda, Togo, and Ghana to build clean cookstove businesses — improving health and cutting emissions.

One solution. Multiple SDG wins. Lower cost. Wider impact.

That’s the power of #SystemsThinking.

The Data Is Clear:

→ 30–40% of food is lost post-harvest https://lnkd.in/g594Uu4c

→ 60 million African youth face unemployment by 2030 https://lnkd.in/gUWTJnff

→ Over 85% of Africans work in the informal sector https://lnkd.in/gZMr8Kfw

We don’t need more isolated interventions.

We need interconnected investments.

Enter: NDC 3.0 + Agenda 2030 + The Pact for the Future

Let’s use NDC 3.0 as a launchpad — not just for climate goals, but for systemic development: Pact for the Future – Summary

That’s how we:

✅ Deliver SDG 1 – New income ✅ Deliver SDG 2 – Food security ✅ Deliver SDG 7 – Clean energy ✅ Deliver SDG 8 – Green jobs ✅ Deliver SDG 13 – Climate adaptation ✅ Deliver SDG 17 – Local partnerships that work

As My Grandmother Said:

“Don’t just fetch water. Fix the leaking pot.”

That’s what systems thinking does.

It fixes the pot. Not just the symptom.

So I ask you:

What silo are you ready to break?

Because to move from talk to transformation, we must move from silos to systems.

And the best time to begin?

Is now.

#SystemsThinking #MindsetChange #ClimateAction #Agenda2030 #YouthJobs #FoodSecurity #GreenEnterprise #AfricaRising #SDGs #NDC3 #Leadership #DrRichardMunang