THE PROBLEMS FACED BY AFRICAN YOUTHS
From the little experience I have and from my kin observations, I would like to share my point of view on the problems a majority of young Africans face in our today’s society.
Lack of orientation and follow up, awareness
“Si jeunesse savait si vieillesse pouvait…….”
In simple terms, our youths are lost, especially in the academic domain (Africa’s school programs were modelled by their colonial masters. Academic education was an instrument used by them to train individuals which will be able and capable of ministering their belongings and institutions: a modern slave. We have passed that era some long time but the same system is still perpetuated till nowadays. Our academical system is obsolete and needs to be reinvented to accommodate with our context be it social, economic, cultural and political) and I will even go further to say that school was not meant for all youths. We have academic counsellors in our institutions but how many youths are interesting in the purpose of frequently visiting these pedagogues to have a talk with them (bringing out their difficulties and sharing their dreams) not knowing that these well-trained psychologists and anthropologists are out to introduce and show them which path is best for them according to their potentials, aspirations and from their own observations too, after their secondary education so that they won’t be lost after obtaining their certificates (some other major problem because youths are at the perpetual search of diplomas and not trained skill).
Lack of research and well-defined dreams
Our youths are distracted. They have missed that sense of focus, intensive work and toil. Work is the essence of Man’s life. A Man who doesn’t work is a potential danger for his economy and society because an idled mind nurtures evil thoughts, especially in our African day to day life context. Our youths do not use the internet to make adequate research: knowing more about what is happening in the world, on technological advances and on what they can innovate and why not create, etc. This lack of research and well-defined dreams is as a result of the carefree and undisciplined attitude they have towards life. The internet and social media have poisoned our youths and frozen their brains. They are unaware that the unproductive sites they visit on daily bases, what they watch, the news they receive from these media doesn’t just affect their subconscious (zombifies them) but also wastes their time and energy which could have been invested in more fruitful and concrete actions. How many youths fix for themselves timebound and clear goals? How many battle for those goals even things happen to become fierce?…… Our youths are impatient and lack humility, consistency. Our youths have enormous work on their self-development and realisation.
Lengthy studies are not meant for all
Many youths have potentials (given that there are different types of intelligence and the capacity of human beings in these various forms of intelligence vary from one person to another) which if developed and harnessed will enable them to sprout out in many milieus such as carpentry, gardening, sewing, electronic and mechanical repairs, marketing, food and nutrition, hotel industry, dance, carving and weaving, waste recycling, scientific research, sports, shoe repair and manufacturing, fashion design and design as a whole, drawing and painting, cultural activities, tourism, boiler making, etc.
Youths are not aware of their background and history
The history we study in our schools and are proud to get diplomas in is unfortunately not ours because the prey and predator have different versions of a similar incident in which they were both involved. How many youths can speak their native language or even seek to learn it? How many youths are curious about knowing their background, history and genealogy? where do I come from, who are my predecessors, what were their battles and for which course did they battle, what were their mistakes and hindrances?…..
“Pour savoir où l’on va c’est plus que nécessaire de connaitre d’où on vient.”
I invite my fellow youths to get back to their roots and in the process of discovering who they are, they will come to notice and understand the world in which we live today. Nothing is new and hidden under the sun.
Lack of opportunities and facilities in the minor sectors
These sectors are listed in point 3 above. They are most often neglected but constitute a strong foundation of our economy especially for those who want to start with some small business activity.
Colonies de vacances, camps de vacances, stages de vacances et non cours de vacances
Parents have to understand that the other forms of intelligence of their posterity need to be harnessed and fortified for school alone without skill (implementing practically what was taught in school) is useless.
This message goes out to all African youths and African youth descendants. I aim at making them aware of the battle ahead of us, of the better future we can build together and of the changes we can implement now, each in his own way.
African youth: Who are you? Why were you born? Where are you at now? What are your aspirations? Where do you come from? Where are heading to? How can you solve a problem your community faces? What are you good at? What do you listen to? What do you read? Who are your relations? (who do you mingle with?)
Njietcheu Sieshieyo
