My practical work in gender equality started at a community level. I saw a well-intentioned agricultural programme fail. It aimed to boost harvests, but by giving land titles only to men, it ignored the women who did most of the farming. These women could not access credit for better seeds. That experience taught me the true power of policy. A policy is not just a document. It is a set of rules that shapes real lives. When we learn to analyse these rules, we gain a powerful t

We often hear the proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child." For our ancestors, this was not just a saying; it was a practical reality. The village was a living network of support and shared responsibility. Children moved freely between homes. Elders guided the young. Burdens were distributed across many shoulders. This system provided a profound sense of security. It ensured no one faced life's challenges alone. The village was a collective project in human development.

Our meals once did more than fill our stomachs. They wove the community together. Each shared plate and communal pot strengthened the bonds between people. Food was the active thread in the social fabric. It connected families and neighbours in a tangible, daily practice. This tradition sustained more than our bodies. It sustained our collective spirit.   Many of us now eat alone or in haste. Think of the last time you ate a hurried lunch at your desk, scrolling through your