What is wrong with our youth? They seem to be happy with their position of irrelevance and actually seem to thrive on it. The lack of ambition on our streets is depressing and besmirching of our honour . Everyday more and more of our vaunted future leaders join the ranks of dropouts, drug addicts and live-at-home 25 year olds. The best of what Garissa produces are those who dream of leaving Kenya for 'greener pastures' elsewhere (read; Europe & North America).
This is a scathing indictment of a culture that does not place any value on academic success, celebrates mediocrity and is hopelessly divided by the most primordial of clan loyalties.While the dynamics at work in Garissa are similar to those in the broader region, our contentment with failure is peculiar and perilous. Improvisation, can-do-demeanour and an aggressive entrepreneurial spirit used to be an integral part of the collective Somali psyche. One didn't need to have a fancy degree to start a successful business. Our parents did it without ever knowing how to balance a financial sheet. We have no excuse not to. Most of the claustrophobic stalls in "Suuq Mugdi" are owned by foreigners. The construction industry imports labour from elsewhere because we are too classy to do such menial work. Clerical jobs are all held by senile retirees and our political system is the preserve of a few families.
This society will not change until its youth wake up from this prolonged sleep. Garissa's youth can do better, NEP's youth can achieve much more. The real challenge we face today is how to revitalise and empower our youth. Hope, self reliance, private enterprise and pursuit of happiness should be the new paradigm that predominates in Somali Kenya. Waiting for others to uplift us out of our current predicament will never materialize. So to you, the youth of Garissa, being apolitical, sitting around waiting for Dualle to get you a job or a ticket to Europe is delusional. Think of how you can replace him or hold his feet to fire.
Good Luck.
I couldn't agree more,bravo keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteARAB.
Since most of parents,elders,relatives n da entire society heads hv never seen da 4 corners of a class,our youth lack better role models.there4 dey don't get sense of courage n ambition 2 think of dea future.so dey neva think of da future coz 2 them da future comes soon enough.so dats y as youth we neva try 2 shape our lyf 4 it 2 be better 2moro.tnx
ReplyDeleteBro, there is plant of job out there for the youths but the question is who wants to take it? i can give you two good examples. The first one is constructions, all works are Mukambas and other Kenyans that we name them names. The second one is farming all guys who are cultivating farms are Raxanweyn from Somalia, i think the problem is that we have this culture of siting back chewing green leaves and wait until food falls into our mouth that never happens.the other think is that we cannot all be office works, politicians, or do a clean job. we got to get out and take what is out there. THANK YOU!!
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