Everything is different, but it’s all the same.

At one point in my Xerox career, I spent a lot of time with some amazing imaging scientists.  I learned (perhaps in a bit too much detail) how sensitive our perception is to visual differences. Contrast - how we visually perceive our world - is determined by the differences in brightness and color of the objects we see.  As it turns out, people are pretty good at seeing subtle differences.

Recently I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Ethiopia and see the great work that agency I'm working with is doing in that developing country.  It was also a real world study in contrast.

As a first time traveler to any developing country, and to Africa in particular, I had the stereotypical expectations.   Sights, sounds, and smells were unfamiliar, but different in the ways I mostly imagined.  That might have been the extent of it had I been just a tourist.  But I had the opportunity to go beyond the hotel ‘compound’ and learn more about this wonderful country and the Ethiopian people.

The group I work with go where there is the most need and transform or build schools for those that otherwise have very limited access to education.  They make sure there is potable water.  They build pit toilets separated for boys and girls.  They build classrooms, hire teachers, and deliver programs in areas such as early childhood education, literacy, adolescent development, and health and nutrition.  They teach the children and even the community.  They build a school that can sustain itself.  They make a difference in the lives of their fellow Ethiopians.

Yes, the buildings are different than schools I’m used to.  There are no school buses. Children walk a long way for the chance to learn. The location is remote.  There is a slate for every student rather than lockers stuffed with notebooks.  All different for sure.

But in the bigger picture, not so much.  I walked in on a PTA meeting.  People and communities work together because they know the value that education offers for their children. I met teachers that become part of the community where they teach.  Those teachers care about their students and know how to help them learn vital skills.   And I saw kids walking to take their end of year tests.  Their excitement about school was as easy to see as their smiling faces.

By the end of the week, I had spoken to a lot of people, and had a chance to introduce over 50 people in the field office to QwikSolver as an approach to continuous improvement. This was a new method for them.  What wasn't new was their desire to learn so they can continually improve and offer even more to the children they serve.

With apologies to imaging science, visual contrast doesn't let you see the whole picture. Sometimes you have to experience the world.  One thing is always the same. People are looking for better and better ways to keep making a difference.