Just the other day, a lot of excitement was in the air as Kenya Airways made its inaugural flight from Nairobi to New York. In preparation, a number of dignitaries, and personalities were in Nairobi, to be part of this history. Among them, was CNN’s Business anchor – Richard Quest.
Richard Quest engaged in a couple of activities – including TV and Radio interviews. In one of the interviews, where NTV’s Mark Masai was the interviewer, he (Mark) asks Quest why the international media mostly focuses on the negative side of Africa. Quest’s response to this was a bit startling. He proceeds to say that he (Quest), started hearing about the narrative AFRICA RISING probably even before Mark was born. And that the international media has a role to put pressure by constantly asking the difficult questions.
I agreed, and still do, to a large extent to this view. As a critic, one’s work is not necessarily to clap when 20% of the work has been achieved, but to ask why the 80% is taking too long, or even taking a route that won’t get the work done. A parent with a kid who brings home a 20% score after School doesn’t go around clapping that 20% has been achieved, rather, he or she becomes concerned about the kid.
This got me thinking, and in the process, asked myself a few questions. On the 12th August this year, when the World was marking the International Youth Day, I was a disturbed human. As my peers would attend conference after conference, post quotes on social media and marvel at the words inscribed in the Sustainable Development Goals, I couldn’t avoid to ask myself whether such celebrations would amount to much. It has been 18 years of such celebrations already. Close to two ( 2 ) decades.
A person who celebrated the very first International Youth Day in the year 2000 at age 18, is today 36. One who celebrated then at age 35, is today 53 years. Both definitely outside youth bracket in Kenyan standards.
Who is a Youth?
Allow me to use an African setting. In the olden days after one gets initiated – mostly in their early teens – they were absorbed into higher brackets of society. For instance, one becomes a junior warrior, a senior warrior, a young adult, they get married…. and the trend continues until one is a respected elder of Society.
The periods between initiation, and marriage, were periods when one was required to accumulate three forms of capital in modern terms. Economic capital (let’s say inheriting a piece of land and cultivating it or inheriting cattle, or engaging in skilled trade), Political capital (becoming a skilled warrior, a leader), Social capital (with peers, with potential spouse to start a family with, or even collaborations with neighbouring territories)
In today’s standards, if we take initiation as the period at which one finishes school, and beginning of adulthood as period at which one starts a family, then this bracket becomes YOUTH. This is the period when one is looking for Economic capital (Employment), Political capital (relevance in society), and Social capital (Family, Friends, Spouse, Peer networks). Different Countries and regions have different brackets for YOUTH. In Kenya, Youth is between the ages of 18 to 35. In most European Countries, it falls between the ages of 17 to 25.
The difference in these brackets means that for a Country like Kenya, it takes one approximately 17 years of trying to accumulate the needed capitals to lead a fulfilling adult life. That, if you turn 18 years today, for you to accumulate the Economic, the political, and the social capital – a rough estimate is a period of 17 years. As for one in a European Country, if they turn 18 years today, a rough estimate for them to acquire the needed capital is 7 years. That can simply explain why you are more likely to find a 26 year old in England for instance, in their third year of employment, whereas in a Country like Kenya, a 26 year old is a fresh graduate awaiting to start another five ( 5 ) years of unsuccessful job search.
Youth Leadership and Policy Intervention.
This current youth generation risks being worse off than their parents. Whereas as their parents were able to – for instance – secure employment after High School at age 18 or 19, starting a journey of economically securing a future for themselves and their families, the current generation are finishing studies at age 25 – since High School certificates don’t guarantee employment today. Worse still, even college certificates don’t.
Now, youth start mobilizing around some of the challenges they are facing in accumulating the needed capitals, since its taking them far too long to realize a fulfilling adult life. It is in these mobilization around the issues affecting them that Youth Leadership is born.
As their parents were able to get married and start a family at ages 19, 20, 21, 22, the current youth at age 35, in a Country like Kenya, are still wondering whether they can actually feed themselves, leave alone to start a family. And remember their parents were able to comfortably get an average of five ( 5 ) children without getting worried that the kids will die of hunger. Today, a Youth in Kenya himself or herself is more likely to die of hunger – let alone their kids.
Youth leadership therefore will push for policy interventions to easen their struggles in accumulating capitals in fulfilling their quest of living a dignified adult life. Unfortunately, this is where the jokes begin.
Jokes, (Read conferences) – And More Jokes (Read Policies)
Conferences are good, no doubt, but they should be a means to an end. Today, conferences are an end unto themselves. People meet to discuss topics from the last conference, and set topics for the next. And put an icing on the cake by quoting Nelson Mandela.
If you ask me, some of the monies spent in organizing some of these conferences can as well be used to dig a borehole somewhere.
Secondly, these conferences might not necessarily attract the best minds. They will attract those close to the organizers. Among other selfie happy folks. Don’t get me wrong, selfies are not bad.
At the same time, the organizers, some of whom might be foreign always look at that which will be easy, while at the same time build on their CV’s ( and websites).
Let me try and ask a question.
Assuming today I’m and Englishman – born and bred somewhere in London. I come to Kenya in the name of empowering Kenyan Youth Leaders and ending their poverty. And start engaging them in a couple of conferences and workshops on how they can be better leaders.
If myself ( an Englishman, from London), I’m already a leader, wouldn’t it prudent for me to start this poverty ending mission in London? You see, part of the reason the Kenyan youth are miserable and poor, is because their leaders steal from them, and hide the monies in places like London, with the help of some Englishmen of course. Another reason is because some Companies, owned by folks from developed World, do business in Countries like Kenya, and evade paying taxes. a City like London where I should come from, is one huge tax haven in the World. Hiding monies stolen from poor Countries.
So, as one born and bred in England, and as a leader trying to end poverty and misery in Kenya, what should be my first priority – Going to Kenya to organize countless conferences, or holding my Countrymen to account and stop the chain that creates poverty in Kenya?
Policy Interventions.
With crisis such as sharp increase in unemployment and lawlessness in Kenya, Government comes up with interventions that might not necessarily be practical. And worse, youth leaders engage in narratives that make little sense.
Self Employment.
Kenya is witnessing a scenario where one has been conditioned – in 8 years of primary education, 4 years of Secondary and 4 of University – to believe that the ultimate goal of education is to get one into a good employment career. Then after graduation, a sudden shift in goal posts.
So something else is introduced – self employment. And that the youth will be cushioned by the Government which will provide financial facilities to act as capital for SME’s. Finances that come in form of loans.
So a young man, or woman, in a desperate attempt to qualify for some of these traps, will rush to register a Company for instance, which requires money. Starts pursuing these Government finances only to realize a lot, and unnecessary bottle necks a long the way. These bottle necks are to be overcome by use of more money. So this man, or woman again starts sinking in debt pursuing finances that were meant for the Ngirita’s and Kabura’s of the Country.
So, they are in debt. KRA starts pursuing them and add volumes and volumes of fines to their names. You see, registering a Company in Kenya can be misery. You are expected to pay taxes from your Company which is still just a name and produces nothing since you never secured the glamorous – advertised youth opportunities.
Now, add this to the fact that you were duped to pick up a HELB loan for your studies as a ‘Government Sponsored’ student. After graduation, HELB won’t give a hoot that you cannot even feed yourself, they will add a fine to your name each and every month.
This simply means one thing, the current youth are doomed, and in a mess, and the policy interventions are only practical inside conference halls.
Graduates Selling Maize And the 8 Billion owed to HELB.
In a recent graduation ceremony in one local University, the Deputy President of the republic of Kenya would call out Universities and express himself that today’s Universities should be ashamed of themselves for producing graduates who are selling maize by the roadside.
This demonstrates that the Government is well aware that it has a pool of Graduates who cannot afford a decent and stable means of earning an income, and should do the honorable thing of writing off the debts that these graduates owe HELB. After all, they were just duped in some ‘Government Sponsored’ scheme.
Having a graduate with zero shillings in their bank accounts, zero in their MPesa accounts, and probably – if not most of the time – having a sick parent or sibling back in the village only adds to their depression. Some, even end up committing suicides from the ‘threatening’ messages they receive from HELB.
After all, it is just 8 Billion shillings. These are monies that can disappear in Kenya in just one or two gunias.
The Government should really think hard on this. A generation, and a potential bright future is wasting away.
What then is the role of the so called “Leaders of Tomorrow” ?
It is now evident – I don’t have a single doubt in my mind – that majority of the so called leaders of tomorrow want that which is easy. And above all, they just want to just pass across their CV’s for potential employers. Or pass their business agenda to potential financiers or clients. There is nothing wrong with this, I do it all the time. But, should this be the number one priority of one who calls themselves a leader?
When one is advocating for change, or better systems, they are most of the time isolated. And it is this isolation that makes most leaders avoid the path of real change, and choose the easy part of engaging in cosmetics.
A 23 year old MarShawn McCarrel after just two years of Black Lives Matter Movement, comitted suicide. Advocating for real change comes with anxiety, depression, loneliness, financial exclusion. And most of the time, this coupled with the inabilities that the young people are already facing, very few will choose this path – meaning inability to organize.
It is now evident that some youth leaders are also battling their demons. Some sinking into depression. Since the more things change, the more they seem to remain the same. While this happens, organizers of conferences still want to continue calling these same leaders to speak, or engage in panel discussions without really minding the health of some of these young ones.
A better approach in organizing is needed. Take for instance, young people trapped in this unending mess of HELB loan, unemployment, lack of access can come together to petition the Government. And demand for reprieve. There is no way the Government can continue to purport to be securing the future of it’s young one’s while allowing years and years of debts to pile up on them. The only place they will ever live is in poverty and misery.
Secondly, we need to re-imagine a youth leadership model that brings results, and not the unending side shows that we currently have. Advocacy for change that looks fancy is already a red flag. Most of the time, it is just but a rocking chair – keeps you busy, takes you nowhere.
Lastly, we need to move away from the illusion that youth holding positions of power will bring about change. Holding positions of power in systems that don’t function won’t achieve much.
Take for instance the current drama’s from County MCA’s. A system that requires an MCA to spend two ( 2 ) million shillings to campaign, and end up earning a salary of roughly Ksh 150, 000 or less is absurd. With 150, 000 you have a family to feed, kids to take to School, villagers who need School fees and medical help from you. Weekend funeral and wedding harambees. So a broke MCA who needs to recover their campaign money without a clear source, will end up just causing drama every now and then impeaching Governors and Speakers for tips and allowances.
Even if you are young, don’t lie to yourself that young people will bring change in such offices – without a clear and practical organized strategy of how the system can be completely overhauled.
But with the current trend in youth leadership styles, the night will continue to be dark, and full of terror, and tomorrow might not come!
judethaddeus4 