A CLASSROOM WITH ONE EMPTY DESK, Did you notice that?

A Socratic lesson for this Season of Schools Resumption

CHARACTERS:

1. DEAR LEADER – Sitting in big office, big chair, bigger title. Phone full of “impact” and “legacy”
2. SOCRATES 2.0 – The village annoying question-asker. No title. Just sense.
3. MAMA SURVIVAL – Represents the majority. Wallet empty, but faith full.
4. BABA SURPLUS – Represents the few. Wallet heavy, conscience… negotiable.

SCENE 1: THE BOARDROOM / OFFICE

DEAR LEADER is drinking tea and posting: “Building the next generation  HumanCapital Sustainability”

SOCRATES 2.0 walks in uninvited boldly with the audacity of a Nigerian fighting in a WWE wrestling ring: Good Monday, Dear Leader l.

DEAR LEADER: Ah Socrates! You are here. Welcome. Although I’m very busy building legacy, but I will listen to those thought provoking questions of yours.

SOCRATES 2.0: Perfect. Because somewhere in the community you serve, there is a child whose future is currently being negotiated by poverty.

DEAR LEADER: adjusts tie Poverty? That’s a government/NGO problem now. Even the parents sef, why didn’t go to a school they can afford?

SOCRATES 2.0: Ah. So when schools reopen this week, who will negotiate for the children that will NOT return for lack of fees?

DEAR LEADER: pause …Is that why they won’t return?

SOCRATES 2.0: Yes, because in this season, for some families, survival has become more urgent than schooling. When resources disappear, the child is always first casualty. Like jollof at a party – children finish first.

DEAR LEADER: nervous and mischievous laugh So what are you saying?

SOCRATES 2.0: The question is not “Who is responsible?”

The question is: “What can leadership or any well to do person do?”

cue dramatic silence

SCENE 2: MARKET SQUARE

MAMA SURVIVAL is selling 3 tomatoes. BABA SURPLUS is buying 1 iPhone 17.

BABA SURPLUS: Madam, how much for hope?

MAMA SURVIVAL: Hope is free, Oga. School fees is ₦45,000.

BABA SURPLUS: checks account I have surplus. You have next to nothing. The gap is wide like Third Mainland Bridge.

SOCRATES 2.0 appears from nowhere: Exactly! We talk about human capital. We talk about talent. We talk about the next generation.

But developing human capital sometimes starts with something as simple as: keeping one child in school.

BABA SURPLUS: Me? I’m just one person.

SOCRATES 2.0: Yes. And what if your organization could keep 10 children in school?

What if your business could support 20?

What if your foundation could find children at risk BEFORE they drop out?

What if your constituency built a system so no child disappears quietly?

What if your NGO just connected the people who already want to help?

What if leaders stopped waiting for “government” to lead?

MAMA SURVIVAL: quietly When a child drops out, the future doesn’t make announcement o.

It just… loses one more possibility.

SCENE 3: BACK TO DEAR LEADER

DEAR LEADER is now sweating

DEAR LEADER: But I don’t see beneficiaries. I see KPIs and budgets.

SOCRATES 2.0: Try again. Don’t see beneficiaries.

See human capital.

See future doctors that will treat you.

See future engineers that will build your home and road.

See future entrepreneurs that will employ your children.

See future policymakers that will decide your pension.

See future leaders that will lead YOU one day.

DEAR LEADER: whispers Who might never become what they were created to become… if I don’t intervene?

SOCRATES 2.0: points to empty chair That one. The one missing from the classroom today.

BABA SURPLUS walks in with a bag of books and uniforms

BABA SURPLUS: I heard there was an empty desk. I came to fill it.

MAMA SURVIVAL: tears Thank you sir. Because when children drop out of school… the future drops with them.

ALL TOGETHER: Leadership is not in the size of our titles.

It’s not in how many people report to us.

It’s in the lives that become possible because we chose to act.

SOCRATES 2.0: So Dear Leader… who is missing from the classroom today?

Lights dim. One empty desk center stage.

END.

Have a purposeful week.

I build the person behind the position. I build the people behind the performance.

THE UNCOMFORTABLE TAKEAWAY FOR US WITH SURPLUS:

You don’t have to solve the whole problem.

But you can solve one child’s problem.

And that one child might solve Nigeria’s problem tomorrow.

Who are you reaching out to this term?

I am Dr Frank Peter Ombugadu still on at least 3 People Every Day