| The Future of Our Youth |
| Written by Peter Wairegi |
 Scary Prospects or a Challenge?According to the article on the book entitled, “Losing Our Youth” by the Civil Rights Project at Harvard University, the black youth are the first African Americans that are expected to live poorer than their parents. Some would ask is this generation cursed or challenged. My mother used to say that obstacles are opportunities disguised as challenges – so if we accept this phenomenon as a challenge, then we can confidently say that the youth have a great opportunity to change the outcome of this phenomenon? What has caused this observation ? What can we do to avert this undesired future? What role does the youth approaching adulthood have in avoiding this grim prospect? The questions are many and the reasons are even greater in number. The predictions given by the experts are based on the current trends, the indicator of how many youth are doing worse than their parents, breakdown in the moral fiber of the family unit, the rapidly growing cost of living, fewer jobs, and also jobs paying enough to cover the debt of the average consumer, and the huge amount of debt directly tied to government spending. As daunting as the factors are, I suggest that we need not accept this as gospel. The youth can improve their chances if they, - Get a good education. As difficult as that might be, try to take advantage of Financial Aid, non repayable grants or taking just a few classes at a time. Use local colleges. - Get exposure. Learn at least one other language during elementary and high school. This can lead to job placement in specialized niches (new immigrants) and employment based, foreign travel opportunities. Embracing other cultures is also a smart move. - Learn to manage their money and resources. - Our leaders must initiate policies that will foster a stronger family unit. This includes parents, churches, mentoring programs and social service agencies. - Encourage entrepreneurship from elementary school years. Paper deliveries, lemonade stands, bake sales, craft fairs are all precursors of ideas and inventions that have paid greater dividends by some of the most successful individuals that we read about. - Increase funding for innovation and research including vastly reducing energy consumption and fuel dependency on foreign countries. Reduce waste! - Improve global collaboration. How have some of the poorest nations built far more superior infrastructures that those in western society? How have they fostered entrepreneurship in India and Asia with as little as an initial loan of $50 and lifted single mothers and their families out of poverty? This topic may seem to be controversial and misdiagnosed. History tells us that each generation has improved, gained high standards, new technology and better standard of living. It's been the natural order of progression and it's daunting that we are now crashing into the hurdles not soaring over them. All I am saying we should not accept the doom and gloom attitude of those who say that our youth will be worse of than their parents. But this will require specific investments in knowledge capital, governance, leadership and better use of our resources. If each one of us, from educators, parents, politicians and the media do their parts, today's youth not only will be better leaders of tomorrow but they will be better equipped to deal with all the challenges that confront them and they will turn the challenges into opportunities and build a better and more prosperous tomorrow. We face a challenge of tremendous consequence that we cannot afford to ignore. Let each of us do our part. Do not accept mediocrity and complacency. Get involved and make a difference in the life of ; OUR YOUTH, OUR ECONOMY AND OUR FUTURE. Mzee Peter Wairegi Publisher and CEO |
