“You treated malaria… twice. Took antibiotics… still not better.
What if the real problem isn’t malaria at all?”
Let’s talk about Syphilis, quiet, common, and often missed.
🧵👇
20 THINGS WE STILL DO MANUALLY WHILE OTHERS HAVE MOVED AHEAD
Washing clothes by hand → They use fully automatic washing & drying machines.
Pounding yam with mortar & pestle → They use electric food processors.
Grinding pepper manually → They use blenders and industrial grinders.
Sweeping with broom → They use vacuum and robotic cleaners.
Cooking with firewood/charcoal → They use gas, electric, and smart cookers.
Fetching water with buckets → They have piped water and automated pumps.
Farming with cutlass & hoe → They use tractors and mechanized equipment.
Planting seeds by hand → They use precision seed planters.
Harvesting manually → They use combine harvesters.
Irrigating with buckets → They use automated irrigation systems.
Writing everything on paper → They use laptops, tablets, and voice tech.
Standing in bank queues → They use mobile banking and contactless payments.
Manual calculations → They use software, spreadsheets, and AI tools.
Drying clothes under the sun → They use tumble dryers.
Ironing with charcoal irons → They use electric/steam irons.
Using hand fans in heat → They use ACs and smart cooling systems.
Using candles/kerosene lamps → They use stable electricity and smart lighting.
Carrying loads on the head → They use forklifts, conveyors, and machines.
Manual sewing or tread machines → They use electric and industrial machines.
Basic toothbrushes only → They use electric smart toothbrushes.
Closer (Optional Caption)
It’s not about shame, it’s about awareness.
The world is moving fast. The real question is: are we moving with it or watching it pass?
Did you know that 80% of your daily productivity is actually killed by the very "hacks" you’re using to save time?
Most of what you’ve been told about optimization is actually slowing you down and draining your focus. We’re doing it all wrong.
More than 200 volunteers came together Saturday in Jackson Park to care for the place we call home. We covered seven acres, picked up 1100 gallons of trash, and planted more than 300 seedlings across Jackson Park and the Urban Growers Collective community garden. Thank you to everyone who gave their time, including neighbors, Obama Leadership Network participants, Obama Youth Job Corps interns, community partners, development partners, and staff.
We look forward to welcoming you to Jackson Park and the Obama Presidential Center campus this June and building the future of this place together!
Photo credit: Mirrors and Music
A special thank you to our partners Emerald South Economic Development Collaborative and Urban Growers Collective for making this impactful day possible. Thank you to Chicago Botanic Garden, Chicago Parks Foundation, Jackson Park Conservancy, Windy City Toolbank, Nestle, and Mariano's for being a part of this event.
The Obama Foundation just announced the final group of major artist commissions for the Obama Presidential Center in advance of the June 19 opening in Chicago: Njideka Akunyili Crosby, María Magdalena Campos-Pons, Jeffrey Gibson, Rashid Johnson, Hugo McCloud, Martin Puryear, Lorna Simpson, and Norman Teague are creating major site-specific works for the campus, joining a growing roster of artists whose work is central to the Center’s vision of civic engagement.
Spanning the full breadth of the campus, the new commissions place art within spaces where people gather, commune, and connect, embedding a wide range of cultural traditions and materials into the fabric of everyday life at the Center. The artists bring together Indigenous drum-making, Afro-Asian Cuban symbolism, conceptual photography, industrial materials, historic ephemera, and locally rooted inclusive design, united by a shared investment in place, memory, and community.