President Paul Kagame, in his message to Rwandans on the occasion of the celebration of the 29th Liberation Day anniversary, implored the youth to pick up from where the country has been brought and do their part to make sure the fruits of sacrifices made by the liberators are not put to waste.
This is not the first time he has made this call, and everything has been deliberately done to make the transition from the liberators to the younger generation as smoother as it possibly can get, but it does not take away the fact that it will still not be a walk in the park.
Nearly thirty years after the liberation of the country, the generation of liberators – who were themselves predominantly youth – is fast-approaching retirement, making way for the younger generation.
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The good news is; a lot has been done to prepare the youth to take on the mantle. They have received good education – some from world class institutions, a foundation to the country’s development has clearly been laid, but above all, they have had thirty years of being understudy to a well-tested crop of leaders.
The youth have also been amply prepared for this transition, starting with the ruling party RPF-Inkotanyi, which has made sure they are represented at the highest level of leadership, the National Executive Congress.
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This has also cascaded to national governance including cabinet and state parastatals where the youth have been entrusted with leadership positions and continue to fare well, making the future more promising.
However, while there is every reason to hope for a better future, it is important to also look at some of the hindrances, which, unchecked, can threaten the sustainability of the fruits of liberation that we enjoy today.
A recent report by the Ministry of Health indicated a spike in the abuse of alcohol in Rwanda, and, this follows various concerns raised at different fora regarding the increasing abuse of alcohol among the youth.
Vices like alcohol and drug abuse must be fought tooth and nail because they may end up being a major impediment to the achievement of the big ambitions for which we have a solid foundation to build on to achieve.