Globe Smart Kids helps turn my emotions into action
I always tell people I was third culture before third culture was a thing. My mother is from Liberia, my father is from Zimbabwe, and I was born in the United States. I’ve grown up in Liberia and Ohio. Other than having identity issues and embodying at least three cultural spaces simultaneously, my lived experience has enabled me to be a chameleon, adapt, and mentor others in diverse contexts.
Fast forwarding to August 2014: The simmering silence on issues of race, culture, and history in the U.S. was raised again by the murder of Michael Brown and the deepening of the Black Lives Matter movement, lamenting the continued murder of black people with impunity by our policing and legal institutions. The unaccompanied minor crisis, the continuing global refugee, migrant, and immigrant crises, and growing white supremacy movements in the US and around the world created the perfect storm. All begged for a coordinated response.
Globe Smart Kids came into my life at the perfect time, just as I was seeking ways to more formally respond and address these critical issues facing all of us. With Globe Smart Kids I’ve been able to harness my rage, anger, pain, and frustration into constructive action.
I believe in the Globe Smart Kids mission and people
As trite as it sounds, I joined the board because I believe in the mission and the messenger. A mutual friend introduced me to Anne and on first speaking with and then meeting Anne, it was clear that Globe Smart Kids had a mission that I believed in and that Anne was committed to doing properly.
The Globe Smart Kids team‘s relentless energy, vision, desire to learn, mediate and support has helped in these tumultuous times. I enjoy contributing my time, treasure, and talents to Globe Smart Kids to do my part to help move to a more humane world.
Engaging kids in diversity is even more important now
In short, it’s always been important. But given the massive waves of global migration (economic, refugees, labor) and demographic shifts, questions around diversity, cultural integration, respect and acceptance for different cultures is critical to societies the world wide. The intersection with our current socio-economic and political climate makes our work critical. Our work helps families to navigate our evolving world and it gives children the tools that affirms their natural curiosities to learn more about their and our evolving world.
To those who consider supporting Globe Smart Kids
Our work provides a safe space and a fun way to have what are often uncomfortable conversations. You’re given a platform that helps families and children understand and appreciate those who may seem like ‘the other’ are actually like us. Globe Smart Kids helps shape culturally fluent people who are able to function (socially, economically, politically) in our evolving world.
Please join the Globe Smart Kids mission to make the foreign feel familiar to kids worldwide!
Chipo C. Nyambuya, Globe Smart Kids board member since 2015.
Ms. Nyambuya is a Chicago-based attorney who currently owns and operates Virgil LLC an advisory firm specializing in Corporate Citizenship/Corporate Social Responsibility.
