Together we can create a world without extreme poverty, one happy village at a time

So, what is my vision of success? Of course it will vary from place to place, depending on the community, but this is how it plays out in my imagination. Let me take you for a stroll through a Happy Village.

As we walk, the first things we notice are the fruit trees. They are blossoming on roadsides, in school playgrounds and other public spaces. We stop to pick a piece of fruit – there’s plenty for everyone – and we say hi to many other people who are doing the same, on their way to work.

There are a lot of vegetable gardens now, surrounded by trees especially selected to return nutrients to the soil. Agricultural production has significantly increased. The effect has flowed into the local market. The vegetables are so colourful! All the parents now have a variety of nutritious food, including traditional, indigenous, plants to feed their families.

The river water is clear enough to wash clothes and there are fewer floods than there used to be – thanks to some indigenous trees planted on the banks. Every person has access to drinking water from a rainwater tank. All community spaces, like schools and libraries, have a rainwater tank and a latrine.

Passing the clinic, the nurse tells us that the number of people contracting malaria, HIV/AIDS and typhoid has dropped dramatically since she started working there. The distribution of mosquito nets and condoms has had the biggest impact. With the addition of a well-stocked pharmacy and an emergency vehicle, this happy village now enjoys better health than any community for miles around.

Better health and more sources of safe drinking water have made it possible for girls to start attending school in massive numbers. The burden of carrying water every day and caring for sick family members has been lifted from their shoulders. They have space to dream of their own education, future careers and families, and to simply enjoy childhood.

The increased agricultural production, as well as improving nutrition and health throughout the village, has also allowed a number of small businesses to spring up. A couple of local entrepreneurs bought solar panels and started a business charging mobile phones. Their customers don’t mind paying more than they used to, because the service is now available within their own village. It saves them a two hour walk!

Believe it or not, this is quite a big dream for many villages in Kenya at the moment. But it’s not too much to ask, is it? I strongly believe that we have a responsibility to try. After all, Nelson Mandela was right when he said,

"Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a decent life."