It was nearly five years ago that my daughter made me a father, and through parenting her and my son, I am reminded of three of the key qualities needed not only for parenthood, but also for being a leader in Africa in the 21st century.
One of my first lessons of fatherhood was about the merits of empathy. In embracing my daughter’s education to ensure that each day finds her knowledge further than the one before, I have realised how much I can learn from observing and absorbing her exponential growth. That ability to feel the pain of a child that cannot voice it, to reciprocate the child’s smile, is a choice one makes. I could not have done it without learning patience and empathy.