CAUSE MARKETING
The Pharaoh Who Didn ’ t Know Joseph
By Emily Manjeru
A story is told in The Bible about Joseph , the last-born son of Jacob . Jacob really loved Joseph so much that he had made him the most beautiful cloak of many colors as a sign of his love ( as Dolly Parton ’ s ‘ Coat of Many colours ’ plays in the background ).
However , his elder brothers despised Joseph and couldn ’ t wait to get rid of him ! They were irked because of his goodness , his kindness , and his weird talent of interpreting dreams . He would tell them about seven bundles of wheat bowing to one bundle and all kinds of things that got them riled up .
One day as Joseph and his brothers were out herding his father ’ s sheep , his brothers plotted his death . They had had it , but they knew his father loved him dearly .
Instead of killing him , his brothers sold him to Egypt , but stained his favorite coat with blood and gave to Jacob to show that he was indeed dead . Jacob was devastated and grieved his son .
While in slavery , Joseph became the ‘ dreams guy ’ in Egypt , earning favor with the Pharaoh and rising the ranks in leadership .
Years later , a great famine overcame Israel and his brothers had to go into Egypt to buy food to survive . Unbeknownst to them , Joseph received them , and his strange dreams became a reality .
This , however , isn ’ t the real story . Joseph had done remarkable things as a leader in foreign land . He was recorded as one of the most revolutionary leaders of his time , making Egypt the go-to land of prosperity when the rest of the nations languished in hunger and poverty , and of course , the Jews multiplied by their numbers .
Upon his death , another Pharaoh arose and wiped out everything Joseph had done that it felt like Joseph never existed . The Pharaoh who didn ’ t know Joseph had overturned all administrative directives that accommodated the Israelites , turning Jews to slaves among Egyptians for more than 4 decades , until Moses came to save the people .
We have all experienced a ‘ Joseph ’ kind of leadership . The kind of progressive leader who genuinely puts the interests of the people they serve at heart . For Joseph it wasn ’ t about the glory or fame , it was about
“
Will there be a time when , regardless of the powers that be , the technocrats who take over public office will see progressive agenda to its fruition and amplify it to make it successful , not because it was handed over , but because it is the right thing to do for the nation ? what was right and good for all .
I ruminated on this as I thought about the healthcare systems that exist in different countries . How many good policies have been shelved because the political class has transitioned ? How often do we have to sacrifice progress at the altar of political interests ?
It is unfortunate that there is rarely a proper handover from one Minister to the next . This becomes loss in investment - human resources , time , donor funding .
Will there be a time when , regardless of the powers that be , the technocrats who take over public office will see progressive agenda to its fruition and amplify it to make it successful , not because it was handed over , but because it is the right thing to do for the nation ?
As you reflect on the leaders that exist , whether national , county or your community merry-go-round , do we elect a Joseph kind of leader or the Pharaoh who cared less for history to determine the future ?
I remain optimistic that the National Surgical Obstetrics and Anaesthesia Plan for Kenya will be implemented someday . That the donor investment in revamping pediatric theatres at tertiary level hospitals will be honored as we seek to achieve Universal Health Coverage .
Emily Manjeru is the Communications Manager for Africa at Smile Train . You can commune with her via mail at : Emilymanjeru @ gmail . com .
46 MAL53 / 23 ISSUE