The history of most successful people tells us that they never compromise with time. They just started working at their early ages for longer hours in a day. Successful people know very well the impact of a fraction of second in their life. On the other hand, most unsuccessful people spend their times unwisely; carrying out trivial things loitering here and there aimlessly or by sleeping, joking, and gossiping.
According to the Population Reference Bureau 2017 World Population Data Sheet, the world youth population (ages 15 to 24) is projected to rise to 1.4 billion by 2050, from 1.2 billion now. Africa’s youth population is projected to increase by 35 percent of the world youth total 2050, from 20 percent today. And Africa’s youth population is expected to continue to grow
The data sheet indicated that currently Ethiopia has the highest share of youth population at 21.8 percent while Bulgaria has the lowest share at 9.1 percent.
More is said about the youth. The youth is a fundamental input to advance a given country’s economy. Nowadays, youths are playing a prominent role through inventing and developing new ideas to the betterment of our planet. In today’s world the contribution of the youth is igniting the world’s development endeavors through various innovations.
Ethiopia with the second largest population in Africa offers the youth with various opportunities. Some quotes spoken by prominent persons also witness the comprehensive contribution of the youth.
Benjamin Disraeli (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman of the Conservative Party who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He is known for speaking the power of the youth to change the world. “Almost everything that is great has been done by youth” and “The Youth of a nation are the trustees of posterity” are the notable speeches of the prime minister about youth.
The other saying from Cyril Connolly’s; “Youth is a period of missed opportunities” which reflects how much the youth should be committed to implement his/her responsibility on time.
Having these quotes in mind, it is important to think about the current youths’ wide-ranging roles and minor challenges at a glance.
Wise youth should pick the best way in life, said resident of Addis Ababa city and university student Yishak Abraham. Currently, the youth have wide areas to deal with and decide the better to take to his/her future life, he added.
“Currently, some students are facing challenges while immersed with bad habits in different higher learning institutions.”
He emphasized that students should take lessons from students’ clubs in universities and be able to develop important life skills and manage their time properly and attain their objectives. Thus, students are the real power of this country and they are expected to actively contribute their part in the social, political, economic and other affairs of their country without recklessness and negligence, he noted.
“Building both physically and mentally healthy generations requires investing more on providing the necessary inputs to the youths. Freewheeling among the youth is the main causes to expose him/her to bad habits”. Youth, being at the fire age, is time to bring a change and make dreams true. The youths should use their energy in constructive matters and work committedly to brighten their future, he recommended.
This generation should act properly in maintaining peace, justice, equality and human rights in the country. “Youth unemployment is a critical task of the government regarding maintaining a peaceful country. Huge unemployment causes disruption of peace and security and nation destruction”, he added.
As he stated, the government should also take actions to lead the youth in the right track. Situations and opportunities should be translated into productiveness and industriousness, and to nurture feeling of patriotism.
Rendering a fruitful youth services including offering quality education, promoting patriotism as well as creating competitive job opportunities should be the first agenda of the ruling government. Promoting the youth towards success requires investing more on creating conducive environment and attaching the youth to up to date technologies, information as well as other basic preconditions to nurture talent and ward off the youths from undesirable behavior and bad addicts.
“Supervising the youths and step up ways to reinforce their role in nation building should be given due priority to nurture the talents of the youths.”
In the same manner, youths should cultivate the culture of discussing and learning various issues in peer to peer approach and discussion. Most importantly, knowledge exchanging among the youths is instrumental in creating a productive, influential and confident generation. Therefore, building an ethical generation through motivating the youths to participate actively on various socio-economic and political issues should also be promoted.
Youths need to prefer walking to a library, computer room, entertainment and sport clubs including well established youth guidance and counseling center to lead a healthy life rather than engrossing into bad habits, he underlined.
Accordingly, talent developing short term and long term training, experience sharing among them and creating a platform to enhance the youth to communicate freely on different agendas is advisable to maintain a peaceful and developed country.
BY TEWODROS KASSA
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 20 MARCH 2022
