Earning an Education: The cornerstone of African Nation building

Persons all across the globe, awaken daily to the direct challenge of living as productive persons in their societies.
More than anything perhaps, their greatest urge in life is reflected in their enthusiastic efforts, which have a direct bearing on their need to belong, to earn a meritorious distinction for their citizenship.

Without doubt, we all need to belong; to a family, to a peer group or some other cohesive communal circle. It gives us a feeling of collective security and individual worth.

Now, as young Africans today, this situation confronts us each many a time, in several levels; at home, among our friends, and especially at school.

It would be sheer protocol for me to attempt explaining how burdened with difficulty most of Africa is; politically, socially, economically and otherwise - Crime runs rampant, jobs are elusive, peace seems to have flown out of the window. 
Indeed, the future for us appears bleak.

It would be improper for me to attempt the denial of the seriousness of our situation - for mother Africa's dire state would test the valor of even the most enduring soul.

However, I now pose the question, must we be despondent regarding these great difficulties? Is there some light at the end of this dark tunnel, or  must we give up all hope? 
Must we, helpless, leave our destiny at the hands of fateful events? Is it possible for us to make 'fundamental' change a reality?

You know, many social commentators out there seem to concur with the biting pessimism expressed in the some of the questions above.
 Many people feel that perhaps we have suffered too long ... that we've been done irreparable damage by the centuries of imperialism and oppression and injustice.
Courteously, I do respect such resigned opinion, but I do not accept it.

My own varied, albeit brief experiences and learning have taught me otherwise. 
Contrary to being pessimistic, I have learnt to seek for positivity in even the most trying of circumstances.
 Rather than assume the worst in times of great trouble, I have grown to be sensitive to the promise of a better day that beckons imminently to us. Africa’s hope is alive and well!

Some scholar once said; “To succeed, a man must be able to apply what he owns today to the service of what he hopes to obtain to tomorrow.”

My own derived assertion is that -  if Africa possesses hope, why not use this hope to birth a better tomorrow!?
 Why not allow this hope to be the driving force behind our pursuit of a better, more progressive society?

One thing I know is that hope, in a fashion akin to biblical faith, shall give us the sight to see the invisible, the sensitivity to feel the intangible, and eventually the strength to achieve the impossible.

The cynics and critics of Africa’s troubles have written off our chances, have summarily written us out of the books of tomorrow’s history, but we shan’t give up - we cannot give up!
 Like the proverbial phoenix, we shall rise out of the ashes and reclaim our place on the highest pedestal of modern human advancement. This we will!

And guess what ... today’s young Africans, you and I, are the work-force that is in the best position to effect this drive to excellence. Africa’s youth today have at their disposal, the greatest asset of all time - which is an education.

Now, care should be taken here, what do I imply by the phrase education? Do I merely refer to school attendance or academic progression? No - my essence stands far from that.

More than anything, this superficial contextualization of education is our society’s greatest undoing. Our deplorable, stagnating failure to prioritize and streamline our educational endeavors has undoubtedly dealt our societies great impediment.

Owing to this, I feel deeply compelled to asseverate: Fellow African Youth, let us own our educations! ... Let you and I be in charge of our intellectual destinies!

This is the only way we shall be able to insure Africa’s future.
 Tomorrow’s leaders can’t be defined by their brawn, but their brains; not by their ability to control, but rather to influence - less to direct, more to lead.

In all my aspirations hitherto, I have tried my best never to be unrealistic in trying to prescribe remedies to the ills afflicting society. 
Granted, my discussion may seem somewhat abstract or even mundane to the unsophisticated eye. But let me further labor to explain myself, as I conclude.

I need the reader to understand that the greatest wisdom of any learner, especially in formalized, strait-jacketed institutional systems like ours, is their ability, in Mark Twain's words, to distinct their schooling from their education. 

The discretionary ability to sieve out from their curriculum-based subject matter, those things that appeal to their innate intelligences, relate to their interests, and build their minds.

Africa’s youth have not just a need, but also a duty to posterity, to identify the priority areas of their learning and devote their energies to these, in order to be the very best workers and leaders and citizens that they possibly can be. 

We must do this for Africa’s good - rather than march through the rigid corridors of the school system like programmed robots or disingenuous, inanimate zombies.

This transition from bureaucratic labors to educational sanity and positive enlightenment must be a collective, integrated one. 
It will require the tireless effort of all society’s stakeholders - our young people, their parents and our local and national leaders. We must all come together, to rescue our botched attempt at educating our people.

This is Africa’s only hope, and perhaps this generation’s most effectual contribution to building our land.

Indeed, like brother Malcolm X stated, “Education is a people’s passport to their future; a future which can only belong to those who prepare for it today.”

         I extend all African patriots my highest esteem.

                

            Solomon Manzi,

     Secretary General, Pan African Youth Desk

               (Uganda Chapter)

               December, 2011

These comments were delivered at the Pan-African Movement (Uganda National Chapter's) inaugural conference ...