Did you know that the world’s largest tree soars up a height of a towering 380 feet?! The Sequoia Dendron Giganteum, better known as the Giant Redwood Tree or simply Sequoia, has an average height of 300 feet although many of them have passed the 350 feet mark! This literal “giant” can weigh up to a monstrous 6 million kilograms (6000 tons)!!

There are species of trees that on average grow to only a tenth of the Giant Redwood’s height that are known have roots nearly the average height of the Sequoia. Noting that, then how much further do you expect a Sequoia’s roots to reach further down into the ground? Probably a hundred miles. Right? Wrong! The Sequoia’s roots have an average length of only 3 feet! Probably the height of your seven-to-nine year old sibling! A giant with a baby’s feet!

On a good day, how does this tree remain standing, let alone days with winds and storms? The answer to this question lies again within the roots.
Giant Redwoods always grow a rather close distance around each other. This makes it easy for the roots of one Sequoia to wrap numerous times around the roots of all the Sequoia around it! It is common to find a Sequoia that is connected to six others simultaneously, while these six others are connected to maybe even six more each! By the end of your exploring you’ll have scoured the entire forest, that’s right; an entire forest of Giant Redwoods is linked by means of roots!

That means that when a wind, flood wave, or any external force pushes or pulls against a single Sequoia tree, it is met with a resisting force of an entire Redwood Forest! Millions and Millions of Newtons (measuring unit of force) stored up in the roots to resist external forces and to keep each tree in the forest standing!

This highly unusual: trees should normally be competing for the resources right under them; all the water, the nutrients, and such found in the soil right beneath them! But not with the Sequoia; their primary concern is not their own lot, rather it is to keep its neighbor standing up tall! This is selflessness at its highest! This is integration!

The integration between the Giant Redwoods is so strong; it is known to have entire sections of their forest completely dead yet they still remain standing! They are dead but they continue to stand way passed their life span out of how strong their bonds are. Not only that, but because they still remain standing; when a younger generation of Sequoia is coming up, they find support from the roots of the predeceased generation of Sequoia.
This is my vision for Africa! This is my vision for this Generation; that we be an integrated generation; A Sequoia Generation.

Imagine an Africa like this! Imagine the young generation of today, like this!

Imagine if people stopped fighting for their own lot in life. If they stopped fighting for their own resources; their own food, their own health, their own education, their own money, their own families, their own tribes, their own lives! If people stopped worrying about filling up their own pockets, achieving and grabbing up power for themselves, their own pleasure and gain!

Imagine what it would be like, if brother kept his brother standing, if neighbor kept his neighbor standing, if city kept a neighboring city standing, and if nation kept her neighboring nation standing! Imagine if we were quick to lend money and not steal or embezzle, imagine if we were quick to lend a hand instead of ignoring someone in need of assistance, imagine if we became quick to pray for one another and stand in faith for one another!

Imagine if going against a single African Citizen would be considered an attack against the entire continent of Africa! Imagine this!

This is my God-given vision for Africa!

My name is Melvin Nderitu Gichuri. I’m 17 years old, I’m passionate about arts and politics and I hope to lead my country, Kenya, as president in the future.

I believe God has prepared a state for Africa and this generation, in which a system and order of integration is apex; a state where self-interest is considered to be a retrogressive mentality.

I see a time when individuals work towards attaining a commune goal in society. This time is near.

This is a time to keep one another standing, standing against corruption and injustice, crime and poverty, disease and sickness. It is time to stand so that long after our time, just like the Sequoia, the things we stand for today will be the next generation’s foundation and support.

In everything, let us not forget that although there are many bricks in this foundation, Christ alone is the cornerstone. It is often that I’m reminded both by people and circumstances that this vision is ‘too great’ or ‘farfetched’. But it is a vision that is greater than the visionary that leaves a larger impact and a greater legacy. Furthermore, God would not call you to something that can be achieved by one alone, otherwise why would we need him?

To all of us who have large dreams and big visions: with God, all is possible.