In the season of commemorating International Youth Day, a day on which the world remembers the contribution of young people in society and reminds society at large of the responsibility it has over its young population, I want to send a strong message to politicians who have a tendency to occupy youths with wrong ideas and put at risk the great potential they have to face the future.
The youth population, which is the majority demographic in Uganda, and many other countries, is a “goldmine” in any society when they are well mentored and guided on what to do, when to do it, how to it, where to do it and why to do it, and with whom. This is the place for ideological nourishment where we cannot afford to go wrong.
As for the youths, your destiny is in your hands! Government is here to create an enabling environment for each one to chart a path to who and what they want to become. Mentors are only inspirers. They can only stop at giving the young generation tips and setting examples for them to emulate. The bigger task is for the individual “leader of tomorrow” to plant an own mustard seed that should sprout and grow into a great tree to shield one from the uncertainties of the future.
Some youths of today live life like a fairytale, without a care in the world. They only live to eat and to live on the backs of others. Some parents complain that their children behave like parasites, never helping out on house chores or working in family businesses. All they do is listen to music and watch films all day long, always chatting on social media and searching for information that does nothing to improve their situation. The amount of money they spend on MBs and airtime can start a small business for an enterprising youth. Some have refused to go to school.
Out of school, idle and in need of quick money for “chips and alcohol,” these ones are very vulnerable to being exploited by self-seekers and groups promoting destructive ideas and for Uganda’s case, false promises to create for them a new Uganda yet in reality, setting them up for destruction. We saw this in last year’s elections where young people were incited to engage in violence as opposed to civil campaigns. It has been a trend and practice of ideologically deficient leaders to mislead young people with “get rich quick” promises and using them as human shields to cause unrest while distracting them from the brighter side of life and how to be productive and to add value to themselves and their environs. Such politicians and their allies should get their hands off our young people because they (politicians and their allies) will be punished here on earth and in the afterlife for misleading our innocent population!
Youths should use their “youthhood” to work for their adulthood and advanced age. Youth is a temporary stage of life but it is the most productive. Once wasted, chances are very minimal for one to ever live a meaningful life. The youths should realise that if the older generations (including their parents) had messed themselves up, they (youths) would not exist.
In fact, for the difficulties we face in the world, it’s because of mistakes of foregone generations of young people who did not properly invest their energy and time. However, today, we have no excuse because we have learnt enough from history on how anyone who wants to succeed in life must behave.
President Yoweri Museveni has, on many occasions and using various channels, told of his time as a youth. He did not squander his youthful days on alcohol and playing cards or jumping from discotheque to another. By the age of 16, he was already conscious of the problems of society and actively engaged in teaching people how to lift themselves out of poverty by stepping out of subsistence agriculture. He taught them how to manage their land better so that they could reap more from it.
Today, Museveni is what he is because he prepared himself as a young person for the uncertain future. In so doing, he empowered generations and distinguished himself as a leader of tomorrow. President Julius Nyerere of Tanzania was among those who saw the seed of leadership in Museveni and gave him some mentorship to build on his natural will to succeed. Nyerere was a good politician. When he touched Museveni, his natural gift of leadership became stronger.
Today, President Museveni is a great inspiration on young people not just in Uganda but Africa at large and beyond. His story from a peasant family boy to a statesman should inspire today’s youths to associate only with people and leaders who add value to them; leaders who show them where opportunities are, how to step into the future with confidence!
All leaders, if indeed they qualify to be called as such, should direct the youths who believe and follow them to put their energy and time in activities that transform their lives and secure for them a better future.
They should be encouraged to be productive, to embrace Government programmes likes Emyooga and Parish Development Model (PDM), and other self-help initiatives through which they can earn income, save and invest for tomorrow. They should be helped to gain skills which they can use to produce things for the market.
They should be taught how the real global economy operates and why, for example, commodity prices are high today and how they can survive by having what to put on the market and not waiting to consume what others, including their parents, produce. Let us build a generation that will make Uganda competitive internationally going forward!
The author is the Deputy Presidential Press Secretary
Contact: faruk.kirunda@statehouse.go.ug
0776980486/0702980486
Do you have a story in your community or an opinion to share with us: Email us at editorial@watchdoguganda.com
