#FutureReadinessWithZa Presents Dr Sizakele in Conversation with  Dr Neeraj Mistry – a Medical Doctor turned economist and now a social scientist. In this discussion, rich with laughter and peppered with deep anecdotes, we talk about his practice and work at Future Africa (https://www.futureafrica.science/). As one deeply invested in contributing to the healing of social ills and the advancement of Africa and her people, his job is aligned with his purpose.

In this episode, we discuss the transdisciplinary approach – which is the uniqueness of the Institute, responding to the urgent need for transformative ideas, and the importance of Africa in and to the World. With a chuckle to soften the heavy lifting required, he hones in on how we (leaders, party masters, policymakers, citizens, etc) can also advance the human family if we are strategic about the levers we push to effect transformative and sustainable change. He walks us through what the Institute has termed ‘challenge domains’, he laments the loss of technical colleges as these produced skilled people needed in the industry, and he advocates for the respect of ALL work. 

Neeraj expands on the importance of ‘eating an elephant one piece at a time’;  of leaning into the wisdom of Biko’s beckoning to us all to reach towards the ‘envisioned self’. We also touch on the topic of training and how it can become invaluable in both the private and public sectors if done correctly. He expands on the importance of early childhood development as the seed that will one day sprout whole and engaged citizens and reflects on the necessity of a systems approach to solving social ills such as safety in the home and youth employability in the future. 

You can reach Dr Neeraj here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neeraj-mistry-md-mph-b9b888/

See more of Future Africa’s work here:  https://www.futureafrica.science/