Writing with Juliet Iwelunmor

I plucked these words in a room full of powerful women and men this week. It works. A single dose.

Like a tree with a million roots. A simple word, is the shortest distance between minds. It works. A single dose.

The truth of today. Ripe for tomorrow. For an eternity of dreams. Like seeds for change that begin with moments rooted in now. Built in a love, rich in harvests uprooted for now. It works.

So no need hiding behind a tabernacle of words, no need hiding behind never ending rules, no need generating anymore noise so easily swept off. Not when all we need to repeat are these words over and over again. It works.

So we are calling a spade a spade. Flipping every thing over with words simple and clear. Like those we owe to tomorrow. The truth of today nestled in a single dose. Like rain that belongs to everyone, like the skies that open for everyone, like the air in this space touching everyone, and the wisdom of hearts who know love’s labor is never lost for anyone. When we all say together, all close the gap together too, with words simple and clear. It works. A single dose.

And so we owe it to every dreamer and every leader, to all those along margins and out of place, we owe to girls out of school and to those in school. We owe it communities across Nigeria or Bangladesh, Ethiopia or the Americas. This promised hope, we shall reach, not standing still, not hiding what we know, not ignoring what to do, until we reach, every girl, everywhere, as we say it loud to everyone, these simple words in a single dose. It works.

I was asked to share my experience and thoughts around HPV to a group that was new to me this week. I felt out of place. I wondered why I was invited as many of the thoughts shared were not similar to what we do in academia these days as least with research on implementation science. So I listened and barely spoke. Something unusual for me. I still listened. There is so much to learn when we step outside spaces that are not familiar to us. I have not been in such a space in a long time. I left grateful for the opportunity to simply learn. This space way of fostering active learning though is one I’m taking back to academic spaces. It rocked. I am also calling a spade a spade. No need mincing words too with HPV vaccines when the lives of so many girls are on the line. It works. A single dose of HPV vaccine and every girl, everywhere deserve it now. Thank you to those who made this week a very active learning one. I’m grateful.

The thoughts above were inspired by Niyi Osundare “Calling a Spade!”