HuUbuntu: I Am Because We Are - Way of Life by Dr. Patrick Makokoro

Back by popular demand, and building on the momentum of the Reconceptualizing Family Engagement webinar, this follow-up session goes deeper into the HuUbuntu philosophy. We will explore what it truly means to be because others are.

Early childhood development practitioners are often trained to focus outward on curriculum, family engagement strategies, and community support. Yet the inner work of self-awareness, cultural rootedness, and personal wellbeing is often left out of professional development altogether. HuUbuntu teaches that "I am because we are" begins with the self: practitioners cannot authentically hold space for children, youth, and families if they have not first done the work of understanding who they are and how they show up in relationship with others.

This session offers practical insights and tools for showing up whole for oneself first, so practitioners can more sustainably and authentically support the children, youth, and families they serve. It will also mark the launch of Dr. Patrick Makokoro's new book, HuUbuntu: I Am Because We Are — A Way of Life.

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Explain the core principles of HuUbuntu philosophy and how they extend beyond a professional framework into a way of life, as demonstrated through responses to in-webinar polls and knowledge-check questions.

2. Apply at least one practical, culturally grounded reflective practice introduced in the session to strengthen their own sense of identity, wellbeing, and connectedness, using the guided self-reflection worksheet provided during the webinar.

3. Describe one specific way a stronger inner foundation can translate into more authentic and sustainable engagement with children, youth, and families in their own classroom or community setting, to be documented in a brief post-webinar reflection.

Disclosure of Proprietary Interest: Dr. Patrick Makokoro is the Founder of  HuUbuntu Consulting and may reference it during this session. He is the author of the HuUbuntu: I Am Because We Are children's book series and HuUbuntu: I Am Because We Are — A Way of Life, which launches in this session, and receives royalties from their sale; all book royalties go toward educating, feeding, and increasing access to early education for young children in Africa.