Onye Mefie, Owe Li Isie Bule: The Seeds We Plant: Reflections on social work, goodness, and reaping what we sow

When I look at this photograph, I see a younger version of myself, very new to social work and with no idea what the future held.

I was living in Calgary, building the beginnings of my career as a young Black social work student. I did not know what opportunities would come, what structural barriers I would face, or where the profession would eventually take me.

What I did know was that I wanted to help people.

When I chose social work, I planted a seed.

The values of the profession- helping others, upholding dignity, challenging injustice and believing in the worth of people- aligned deeply with my faith. I did not know what would grow from that seed, but I knew I wanted to plant something rooted in goodness.

When this photograph was taken, I was working at an adoption agency. I supported the adoption process and conducted racial sensitivity seminars for parents who wanted to adopt children of colour. I encouraged adults to think critically about race, culture, identity and the particular needs of Black children entering their families. I was firm about anti racism and about children of colour having positive, affirming experiences of their identities.

Looking back, I realize I may never know what grew from some of those conversations. Something said during a seminar may have stayed with a parent years later. A child may have had a different experience because an adult was challenged to think more deeply.

That is the thing about planting seeds. We do not always get to see what grows.

Years later, I completed my BSW and MSW and am now pursuing my PhD. I have also spent the past six years building New Chapter and supporting people through some of the most difficult periods of their lives.

I have had the privilege of helping people break cycles of generational trauma, heal from addictions, rebuild their lives, find second chances, overcome barriers to employment and begin new chapters.

The seed became a tree.

The journey has not always been easy. Finding opportunities as a Black man has often been difficult, and there have been structural barriers, career changes and personal challenges along the way. But I remain grateful for the seed I planted.

My family often says in our Issele Uku dialect:

Onye Mefie, Owe Li Isie Bule meaning - “When a person sows evil, the consequences of that evil eventually return to them.”

It reflects the same wisdom found in the biblical principle that we reap what we sow.

We can sow kindness, honesty, loyalty, compassion and love. We can also sow deceit, betrayal, dishonesty and pain.

Goodness does not guarantee an easy life, and sometimes the people who receive your goodness will not appreciate it. Plant it anyway.

You may not always know what your future will look like. You may not know what one decision, one act of kindness, one opportunity or one conversation will eventually become.

The younger man in this photograph did not know.

He simply planted a seed.

Be mindful of what you plant today. One day, you may look back and be amazed by what grew.