Empower the youth and build a nation

If you want a country to have a future, empower the youth with the best education, skills, and morals and above all character that will make them patriotic and focused to fit in the current challenging environment. Make them aware of the dangers of wasting away their lives in drugs, premarital sex and crime related activities. Recently, I visited my cousin in a public hospital, CHUK. He had a terrible motorbike accident and he was rushed immediately to the hospital. My cousin is a horrendous cigarette and alcohol addict; and when I visited him, I was surprised when he said to me: “Please Manzi I need some cigarettes... Hope you brought me some”!!!! I saw how things we do implicate and affect our daily lives. It was a turning point visit, I had to flash back, and picture how we are loosing our teens; because of drugs and alcohols. Looking back at how Rwanda was heavily devastated by the 1994 Tutsi Genocide, the youth were ignorantly used; and I believe it is our responsibilities to re- build again our country. This reminds me of the book I recently read called: “The boy who harnessed the wind” by William Kamkwamba. He was telling a story of how he dropped out from school because of poverty yet he was able to build a windmill for his family that would pump water and generate electricity at his home. Youth rarely remember that, success starts in our minds; and positive thinking creates sn advantage. We no longer value critical thinking; instead there is what I term, “Group thinking.” This is great if positive but terrible when negative. Surprisingly, our students prefer other less important issues than commitment to their academic achievements. P.E.E.R.S, which is ‘People who Encourage Errors, Rudeness and Stupidity’, is something we should tackle beforehand. Our Math and Science skills are fading. However, there are other P.E.E.R.S; ‘People who Encourage Excellence, Richness and Success.’ I believe today, China’s economy is booming because of the accomplishment of their youth in terms of science and technology. When I remember that the founders of Rwanda faced perils we can scarcely imagine, they urge us today to keep the candle burning and maintain the values such as: Hard work and honesty, Courage and Fair play, Innovation and Discipline. These creeds are still important in this new Rwanda. This is the time, to put aside all non-experiments, to create a new kind of Rwandan youth, a generation of leaders instead of victims, and a generation of inventors rather than drug addicts. Thanks to the government through the Ministry of Youth that has launched a campaign against drugs. However the ball is in our hands, we can either choose to give it to the opponent or shoot into the Vision 2020 goal and register a win. jamiefrings@yahoo.com