The human world may distinguish mother from baby by their movement, or mobility. A baby moves by crawling and later learns to walk with gradual guidance by walking adults. In traditional homes adults tease the baby to tread step by step, until the day it hobbles to pick a boiled egg with a smile.

An upright and walking posture marks a child’s new trajectory in growth as well as the adult’s skills to patiently guide a learning child to maturity.  While crawling signals childhood, upright motion is an improvement, and positions one to transfer skills to younger generations.

While the human world considers crawling as a first step to walking, crawling is the crab’s only way of moving: mother crawls, baby crawls and none is able to guide the other to rise and walk. The crab is permanently handicapped, lacking the gift to guide or mentor young ones to stand.

A world where everyone is a toddler and there are no teachers and learners is bound to stagnate. Good leaders guide and mentor young ones who falter and pray to be corrected.

The crab model is a handicap Ashesi seeks to cure. Training in good leadership is the hallmark of Ashesi University.