Today, over 50 per cent of the world’s population is under the age of 25. In Rwanda, it is believed that at least 3.7 million individuals are aged between 15 and 34. Effectively, what this means is that addressing the special needs of the youth; education, employment, and the pursuit of happiness is a critical challenge for almost every society. Likewise, more than any other population group, today’s young people are very likely to impact how the rest of us live, now and in the future. This can of course be influenced either positively or negatively. You see – challenges to guarantee that those who hold the keys to our present and future lifestyles persist; there is chronic unemployment, poor employment skills, and the biggest challenge of all – the inability by some young people to assume responsibility. For a country like Rwanda whose goal is to pursue self-reliance, we cannot take any chances. What we want are young responsible citizens who take their future as seriously as the goals we have set ourselves as a society. Fortunately, from what I have witnessed in Rwanda for the last few years, the task at hand although still challenging, appears to be on track with more young people taking responsibility for their future. I have spoken to some young people, and their plans, achievements, and ambitions are indeed all worthy of recognition. Having said that, there are three points I wish to emphasise here today, which in my opinion can help contribute to aspirations of many young people in becoming responsible and reliable citizens. Get an education This sounds like the most basic piece of advice, which should be clear to everyone, but you will be surprised how many young people throw away a once in a lifetime opportunity to acquire an education. Education is not just about going to school and getting a degree. It is as much about that as it is to make good use of that education. Education helps you to better yourself, your community, and your country because you are equipped with skills necessary to be observant, analytical, and open minded. So, before anything else, first and foremost, as young people, we must come to a realisation that our country is in desperate need of skilled citizens, and the sooner we realise that the sooner we seek skills to influence and contribute to various development efforts. Become active citizens For many young people, becoming an active citizen is often closely related to being involved in politics – politics with a capital ‘P’, and this association can often make the idea of becoming an active citizen in one’s community or country feel like something which is far removed from everyday life, and something which most young people don’t easily relate to. And yet, the issues that most affect us all, including young people, are precisely what active citizenry and politics are all about. Young people need to know that the more they shun politics and the affairs taking place within society, the more they are likely to become detached and less influential in affairs that can potentially dictate the lives they lead. I am not saying go out there and riot, far from that. What I am saying is be eager to know what’s happening in your community, what policies your government is adopting, and if you agree with them, show your support. Equally, if you disagree, challenge the status quo by arguing how different things should be done. Whatever you do, don’t become a bystander. Become job creators and not just jobseekers Today, it has become prevalent among young and older people alike to assume that somehow governments are responsible for us in terms of job provision. Such an argument is only partially true. Outside of civil service, which is a necessity for governments to execute their duties, governments are not responsible for creating jobs; they are in fact responsible for fostering an environment that creates jobs within a society, particularly within the private sector. Likewise, there are two factors that incentivise governments to foster an environment that creates jobs; the wellbeing of people whose wellbeing emanates from employment revenue, and contributions made to state coffers by employed people in order for governments to fund public services – which are the responsibility of governments. But, what if this fostering does not happen as quickly as we want, can’t we go out and create our own jobs by developing ideas that can lead to new start-ups? Of course we can, and we should. Creating jobs does not necessarily need a lot of capital investment; sometimes all you need are skills necessary to curve a niche market of your own. What I am trying to say is that, as young people, we should not just give up at the first attempt of trying. If you cannot get a job, think of ways to create your own – eventually, you may become someone else’s employer! Ultimately, I strongly believe that the earlier young people assume responsibility, the sooner we can be sure of achieving the goal of self-reliance. In fact, there is little resistance that achieving self-reliance is what true independence is all about. But, first, young people must be serious about education, become active citizenry, and work. Without these in place, self-reliance will remain nothing but a distant dream. junior.mutabazi@yahoo.co.uk
