November 15, 2022
We have used complexity and systemic thinking to successfully tackles issues of waste management at Mathare
My name is Joyce Ngeso. I have alway been fascinated by people who solve problems. It thus comes naturally that I want to be part of solution providers.
I joined SAYDS as a fellow in 2021. I knew nothing about Complexity and Systems Thinking. After completing the program, I realised its importance. The program equipped me with the skills and knowledge needed to tackle complex social problems.
Armed with an understanding of complexity and systems thinking, I can now dissect a complex social problem with ease. The program opened my eyes to ‘wicked problems’ – problems that crop up after solving previous ones. This phenomenon is one of the reasons why it is essential to be aware of systems’ interconnectedness and how it can be broken up if you are aiming to solve one problem.
I applied the knowledge and skills acquired to better my relationships with friends, family, and colleagues. Now, I am more confident than ever. I challenge myself to craft strategies to tackle social problems in my community. I boldly volunteer in decision-making spaces, thanks to the SAYDS program.
Was I ready to give back to the community after the training? Potentially. But what followed changed many aspects of my life and impacted the community that I worked with. My team worked with the Mathare Social Justice Centre (MSJC), training them on poor waste management. This was important because inproper waste management is a major social problem in Mathare. We worked together to understand how they perceived and worked towards ending the problem and guided them on how to use Complexity and Systems Thinking. We achieved a knowledge exchange.
Joining SAYDS was a great opportunity and one of the best decisions I have ever made. I plan to share the knowledge I acquired from SAYDS surrounding how to understand and tackle complex social problems with any interested person, organization, or platform that I get to help understand and tackle complex social problems. This will aid my achievement of my long-term goal of promoting social change in communities and globally.
I hope to continue working with MSJC and many other organizations in the future to help tackle complex social problems by sharing my knowledge of complexity and systems thinking.
You will be placed in the appropriate team or project depending on your skills and experience. Please reach out if you can assist us in any of the following fields:
