Ethiopia houses close to 115 million populations constituted in eleven states and 2 city administrations. The population, community or society can be cascaded down to a family—which is the basis for a huge populace of the country as a nation is a set of people organized in the form of family.
It is well recognized that a family is the foundation and determinant factor for leading a country to the right or wrong track based on circumstances. The youth and new young generation resemble the society or population of the nation in general and the family they have been brought from in particular.
This talks about the contribution of a family to the overall development and growth of the country as well as its obliteration when it is nurtured and treated otherwise. Cognizant of the fact that a family is of paramount importance in building the country and put it on an unwavering origin, this writer had a stay with Martha Solomon, a Sociology and Social Anthropology graduate from Addis Ababa University to gain some sorts of professional perspective with regard to the issue under discussion.
She said: “Family matters the most when we talk about a country in general. For instance, children reared in family members with a nagging scenario, irresponsible gesture and lack of patriotism could hardly contribute a positive step to the country where they are residing. This is because they have passed through the channel that does not fit their mental set up to be shaped as per the nation’s demand. Hence, family members or close guardians, especially a father and a mother, are duty bound to make the county as they are not living for their own sake, but for the new generation who are going to overtake the nation with its future.”
According to Martha, we, Ethiopians, do have a number of time-tested optimistic styles from which children/ the youth can draw important lessons to develop their personal growth. True, children, human beings in general, can acquire lessons from various sources: from school, their neighbors, social interactions, from environment, too. The former two have taken the lion’s share in shaping the generation. Apart from a family interface, whatever it may be, as there are two dimensions—pessimistic ethos and optimistic tenet, schools are instrumental in shaping the generation from which the county is built.
“Generations especially the youth are fundamental elements and change engines with a view to transforming the country. Hence, Ethiopia has to capitalize on its youth population and provide families with a fertile ground to well contribute to its breathtaking progress and development,” she said.
Another person whom this writer has consulted about the role parents can play in shaping children and the youth to make them a useful member of a society who keep the norm, culture, values and history of their country and develop patriotism is Fasil Melaku, a Civics and Ethical Education teacher.
He said, “The family is the substratum of a society in a given country. Strong families build strong communities which in turn can build a strong and sovereign nation. It is a family from which children and/or the youth first learn ethical and mystical standards which give meaning to their lives and that of others.”
“Let us pay tribute to our forefathers, foremothers and other ancestors that have helped build this blessed nation –we all have to avoid ignoring family values and customs at our peril,” he underlined.
According to Fasil, numerous young generations are growing up without any guidance, mentors or role models and without knowing a stable, loving, secure family life. This is devastating, indeed!
The very thing that has to be well comprehended in this regard is, as to him, someone’s children are not merely children in that family; they are future citizens of the country, instead. Everyone’s role as parents is also a service to society. Parents need to establish a channel of positive communication with their children, something that is missing at the moment.
He said, “Undoubtedly, our family is the basic unit of our society and it is considered as the frontline sanctuary of the nation. A family is viewed as a feet, it is the foundation of man’s body system for it strongholds the weight of the body which characterizes the nation as a whole.”
As to Fasil, if the family is weak, so is the nation and the family is one of the basic molders of a nation’s culture, values, overwhelming social strata and other related factors.
Basically, he said, an individual life would be meaningless if they have no social ties. Likewise, the progress of a public can only happen with the efforts of each individual working together with one another.
Nation building efforts can bear fruits if families of various levels are well aware of all the steps taken to raise children who will buyout the realm with its forthcoming. According to Fasil, children have to be encouraged to have a broad knowledge of other places, their history, religion and culture with a deep knowledge of things as much as they can. It is at this time children would have ample opportunity to be productive, civic-minded, ethical and competitive ones.
He said, “Yes, encouraging them enjoy friendships across racial and cultural lines locally, nationally and regionally help them be full in life, which in turn enables them to contribute a lot to the building of their own nation. Here, the role of a family is irreplaceable.”
As to him, helping children develop a high level of comfort in being around, studying and working with different types of people, people from different places and circumstances, would be of instrumental in encouraging them to be cornerstones for their country.
When young generation learns to make decisions and consider the consequences of their actions, they make better choices — choices with fewer negative results. The youth who learn problem-solving strategies, negotiation skills, peaceful play, and cooperation are more prospective to analyze and make choices that are good for themselves and others. When the youth respect others, take turns, work out problems, share, or help someone, show responsibility and thus benefitting themselves and the whole community. This in turn lays the foundation for the country to produce industrious and proficient citizens.
According to Fasil, every nation’s pillar of success is its younger generation as the future of the nation lies in the all-around development of the youth. Hence, the youth play a supreme role in nation-building. So, parents are expected to first identify desired outcomes for children/youth to determine the salient features of core parenting knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Identifying these outcome grounds would help the government, practitioners, and policy makers establish priorities for youth investment thereby contributing a lot to the growth and change of the country.
True, youth outcomes are interconnected within and across diverse domains of development. It is axiomatic to posit that there is a linkage between youth and national integration. Therefore, the role of youth on national development cannot be overlooked. The wheel of development of any country lies on the shoulder of how productive and creative the youth populations are. As the youth are growth and development engines, they have to be provided with all the requirements in life. In so doing, it would be possible to build a strong and developed nation.
Fasil said, “Interestingly, the transition of society from one generation to another is critical to the formative and developmental aspiration of such a reconditioned society. That is why it is recurrently heralded that the society which has prepared its youth for the sake of future aspiration will not only secure their future development but they are also preparing the next set of leaders. Therefore, the role of the youth on national development is inviolable to the whole development aspiration of any society, and country, too.”
According to him, no doubt, the youth are the cornerstone to societal rejuvenation and the youth for today are leaders of tomorrow. As the most energetic and vigorous segment of any society, the youth are the major determiners of peace and tranquility, stability, economic independence and political maturity of the nation. Conversely, the degree of disorderliness and unpredictability in society is also partially determined by the youth as they can be sources of turmoil and peace as well. Unquestionably, peace is a precursor of development, stability and change.
In a nut shell, Ethiopia has to capitalize on the best ways to well nurture children, the youth, and the whole society at large to attain the desired target—change.
Yes, family has to guide the youth/children properly and in a positive direction to get success in all spheres. The youth are full of potential and enthusiasm to work and heed towards success. Thus capitalizing on facility would absolutely help make this all a success
BY MENGESHA AMARE
The Ethiopian Herald 3 April 2022
