By STEVE MISORI
If you only have a hammer to face all your challenges, you tend to see every problem as a nail.
This appears to be the greatest threat to youth’s empowerment in modern society. Whoever wants to rescue them has a hammer and so they are scared.
None of the youths is therefore willing to adventure and make progress in life. Ralph Waldo Emerson agrees with Abraham Maslow’s reasoning when he said, ‘ Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.
It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. When youths celebrated their day a couple of days ago, I expected their leaders to highlight some of the challenges they have always faced in their attempt to create impact in the world.
That was not forthcoming and I trained my eyes on the government. Interestingly, nothing much came from the government either. Leadership generally should be borne out of the understanding of the needs of those who would be affected by it.
What I still can’t put together is whatever they celebrated. The third planet is full of idle youths who have no vision and still yearning for direction and leadership.
These youths are bright with ideas but immersed in thick poverty, great unemployment crisis and social crime. If your teeth are clenched and your fists are clenched, your lifespan is probably clenched. That is the current position of the African youths. Adabella Radici holds that limiting one to available options is not only uncouth but also uncultured.
Youths need the space and time to advance their ideals and needs. The just concluded youth day has failed to address their menaces since terrorism continues to take toll of African generation.
Believe you me, terrorism has always been linked to the youths. What is clear is that they are not quitting this crime any time soon because they are poor, unemployed and discriminated against courtesy of weak leadership structures and poor response to their desires.
It is increasingly understood that highway robbery, kidnappings and murder are all serious crimes linked to the youths. Leaders must unite to challenge the challenges facing the youths of the African continent since they are the biggest economy.
The youths must be reminded that the right way is not always the popular and easy way, standing for right when it is unpopular is a true test of moral character.
They must know well what leads them forward and what holds them back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom.
The youth are the leaders I have known. The evils of our time continue to control them not because of the noises of the evil but due to the silence of the good.
Let the African leaders transform their youths and by doing that they would have addressed the social ills in the society, crime and ignorance.
It is now not tomorrow! Youths are better advised that the impossible is the untried.
About the Writer:
Steve Mark Misori is a Kenyan Writer from Homa Bay County who is a Teacher, currently, employed by the Kenya’s Teachers’ Service Commission and he teaches English language and social sciences alongside literature for the last nine years.
He has since written the book ‘Village Under Siege’ and his second book English Ideal’ is yet to be launched.
