The name of a small village in Namibia, which, in 2008 and 2009, became the first place on Earth to experiment with basic income grants (BIGs).  Putting into practice the concept that basic income is a universal human right, every person received a monthly grant of 100 Namibian dollars (around £10) regardless of their income.

After the first year, child nutrition had gone down from 42% to 10%, household poverty from 76% to 37%, school dropout rates from 42% to 0%, and crime went down by 42%.

If these facts aren’t intriguing enough, over this period, entrepreneurial activity and self-employment went up 300%.*

This post is about motivation.

We don’t have to pay or reward children to play or learn – their reward is intrinsic to the activity and the learning.

Over time this gets covered up.  We get to thinking we need to reward people to produce their best work.  (How many of us thought to reward our children with some many pounds for this exam grade and so many for this grade?)  We swallow this line – more money, promotion, shorter hours … .**  But the story of Otjivero-Omitara isn’t about external rewards, it’t about making it possible for people to connect with the thing they really want to do.

The greatest reward is doing the stuff you love.

Inside you there is still a deep curiosity.   The pursuit of this brings a great reward.  I don’t know what this is for you – it’s  nothing short of amazing how each everyone is curious about something different to the next person.   It’s a wonderful thing.

And don’t wait for anyone to give you permission.  Give yourself permission.  What is your life saying to you?

I’m curious.

(*The cost to roll this out to every Namibian?  No more than 3% of GDP.)

(**By all means get paid well for what you are curious and most rewarded by, but sometimes this can turn what you love into a job.)