Stories for Children, Stories for Nations

Why Imagination Shapes Calling
Stories don’t just entertain children. They shape the leaders—and the nations—they will one day become.

When I visited a school in Kinshasa, DRC, my friend the school’s director from Paris, France, Gabriel OLEKO, asked me to explain leadership traits to students preparing for adulthood. Instead of a lecture, I turned to stories.

I researched what resonates with children ages 11–13 and wrote my first story—in French—about an okapi and a bonobo, two animals from the Congolese jungle who embark on adventures together. The setting mattered: many of these children only know the city, yet their country holds a rich forest filled with unique animals and cultural history worth celebrating.

These stories teach lessons about overcoming challenges, but they also introduce children to their own heritage. I’ve now written three stories, with a dozen more on the way. Each time I share them, I see imagination spark—students glimpse possibilities beyond the limits of their station in life.

Imagination is unpredictable, yet glorious. It opens doors where none seem to exist. And in doing so, it shapes not only the calling of individuals, but the destiny of nations.

What stories—whether from childhood or adulthood—have expanded your imagination and reshaped your sense of calling?