Are you pursuing your dream?

Everyone in this world, whether young or old, has dreams to pursue. Once these dreams are accomplished, one feels that he has attained his self actualisation and lives happily as they continue conquering other life challenges. It is in this context that I would like to ask our dear students wherever they are, whether they are really pursuing the dreams of their lives. One may have a dream of being a pilot, architect or even a successful businessman. These dreams if not realized, tend to be nightmares that keep on haunting someone for many years. In his famous book, Dreams from my Father,Barrack Obama talks about his background and acknowledges his Kenyan roots which shaped his thinking and gave him a great desire to soldier on. It is after launching this book in 1995 that Obama successfully started the journey to the US presidency. He went on to write another book, Audacity of hope, where he dreams of one America. He says that there is no Black America, White America or Blue America but the United States of America. He dreams of unity among his people that will overcome race, colour and religion.In order to fulfil your dreams, a lot of sacrifice has to be made. During the struggle for the rights of African Americans in the USA, Martin Luther King in his famous quote once said, “I have a dream that my child will not be judged by the colour of his skin but the content in his character.” Martin Luther believed in a day when African Americans will have a say in the running of the affairs of their country. His dream came to pass and got realised through people like Barrack Obama, Gen. Collin Powell, Oprah Winfrey and other famous African Americans. These people were inspired by such statements from Luther king and have today put a mark in the American history.As students, we join school with a lot of dreams. We keep focus in the early years of school and as time goes by many students succumb to peer pressure and end up finding the road towards achieving their goals becoming bumpy. There is a common saying, “when the going gets tough, the tough gets going” and as such students need to persevere and overcome all difficulties to realise their dreams. They should never give up but work hard to achieve their goals.I do remember vividly during debates in our high school days when students would argue out their points so passionately until some were referred to as lawyers. These eloquent young boys could even recite famous quotes from people like Socrates and Shakespeare to prove their points. Unsurprisingly today most of these fellows are indeed budding lawyers and have lived up to their dream careers. Students also need to know that as they pursue their individual dreams, their parents also dream in them. Their parents’ dream is of a bright future for them and that is why they work hard tirelessly to raise school fees and cater for their daily needs. They need to remain focused in their studies so as to take over the mantle from their parents once they retire.The country also has its dreams that need to be achieved. It dreams of a future where its citizens will be economically empowered and we shall have a knowledge-based economy. This is why countries have their visions. For example Rwanda has Vision 2020, Kenya has Vision 2030 and Uganda has Vision 2040. Burundi has vision 2025. These dreams have to be achieved no matter what it takes.The writer is a teacher at Riviera High School