A Four-Year-Old Asks Why
- REI
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
By Josiah Ng, New Singapore Field Staff to Uzbekistan
“Why? Papa?” my son asked for the third time, as I tried to explain my recent trip to Uzbekistan to teach at a local university.
“Because when we build people up, we build the nation too…” I paused and caught myself chuckling. Was I really about to explain REI’s mission to a four-year-old?
“Why Papa? Why?” My son frowned impatiently, clearly not as amused as I was. The preschooler had recently graduated from saying, “No!” to everything to now asking, “Why?” about everything.
I chuckled again, realizing that I could have used this moment to help illustrate the ‘5 Whys’. It was a core concept I introduced to my Strategy & Design Thinking class at Samarkand International University of Technology (SIUT) this past spring. Basically, you ask ‘why’ and when you’ve reached an answer, question the answer again with yet another ‘why’, and go on until you reach the point you have pared the problem down to its root (typically after 5 whys).
In November 2024, Randy and Jill Vernon reached out to James Ong (director of REI’s Singapore office) to explore having me do a short-term trip. “It’s been challenging for the school to hire design and media professors,” the Vernons explained. I could empathize, since most design and media experts usually opt to practice their craft instead of pursuing research or academic advancement.
I first met the Vernons when they were at a REI retreat in Singapore, and I was really inspired by the good work they are doing in Central Asia. I told James that it was therefore a no-brainer for me to readily agree to help with REI’s work in Uzbekistan. And so off I went, spending three weeks in Samarkand as a visiting professor, teaching classes on Design Thinking & Strategy, along with five other related modules.
But here, I found myself in front of my curious four-year-old, trying to explain my extended trip to this foreign country.
He shared a familiar look: The same knitted brows my SIUT students gave me just weeks before – a certain hunger in their eyes, a sharp gaze like an eagle waiting to grasp whatever knowledge was offered but not easily satisfied, and always with more questions.
Voltaire once said to judge a man by his questions rather than his answers. Judging from the questions thrown at me by the SIUT students, I was much encouraged that these who are to be the future of Uzbekistan proved the country had a bright one ahead.
During my trip, I discovered that Uzbekistan's history is rich with culture, art, architecture, and literature—so it's no surprise that the students were deeply curious and reflective. What they seem to need most now is someone who can create safe spaces where their questions can truly flourish.
WHY DID MUMMY HAVE TO GO TOO?
My wife, Tricia, echoed my observations when she joined me in the second week. She co-taught two classes with me, and we ended one of them with a fireside chat where I moderated and asked about her career and life perspectives. I told the students it was also perhaps the first and last time I could interrogate my wife, for a woman’s wisdom is not to be questioned, to which they laughed.
I could sense that it was a significant moment for many of the female students present, for while the country has made progress in honoring women and their contributions, much is still left to be done just as it is in many other nations.
After the class, a few female students chatted with Tricia. She told me later that they were asking for friendship and relationship advice. In that moment, these weren’t just female students, they were also daughters, sisters, nieces and best friends – young promising women navigating this ever-evolving economic landscape.
And, back to my son, here was what we told him when he also asked, “Why did mummy have to go too?” I told him, “Because the students of Samarkand need fellow women to empower them with confidence and hope.”
BUT STILL, WHY DO WE BUILD PEOPLE TO BUILD NATIONS?
During the final week at SIUT, the freshmen class gave presentations as part of my ‘Effective Presentation Skills” module. They needed to put into practice what they had learned. One of those things being how to start their presentations well.
“A Compelling Story!”
“A Surprising Statistic…”
“A Thought-Provoking Question!”
One of them gave an enthralling presentation about Navruz, one of Uzbekistan’s most important festivals marking the start of spring.
Another student proudly presented “The Power of Hospitality – Why Uzbekistan Is Known for Its Warmth.” And another gave us the low-down about “The Psychology of Procrastination – Why We Procrastinate and How to Overcome It.”
As I sat there scribbling notes – not only writing feedback but also for my own learning – I was proud of how the students had grown more confident and articulate. It was now my turn to be a student myself and learn what they had to offer.
It dawned on me then: I was not just teaching them how to tell ‘a compelling story,’ I was helping them see that they indeed had beautiful stories to tell.
And while current statistics reveal we live in a challenging world, these were now empowered students that can leverage their potential to influence future statistics for the better.
One student shared how starting his presentation with ‘a thought-provoking question’ helped him learn that progress isn’t so much about always having the answers, but about learning to ask good and right questions.
Turns out, I wasn’t just teaching technical skills to help them present better, I was indeed ‘building people to build nations.’
And so, we’re back to my son’s final ‘why.’
Ironically, the answer was staring plainly back at me in the form of a preschooler.
“Why do we build people to build nations? Because this brings hope to future generations, one you’re a part of as well, Son, and my hope is that you too will one day do the same as Papa and Mama.”