I consider youths as citizens that are full of energy and have inconceivably high levels of creativity and are full of fervor. Give them a platform to express themselves and they will surprise you with their vast talents and their ability to change their communities for the better.
For that reason, I do take youth mentorship seriously as a critical tool in bridging the knowledge gap between people from all walks of life, generations and various social circles. With the support and mutual partnership from Plan-Zimbabwe, I have already embarked on a nationwide mentorship program in Zimbabwe. Our first project with Plan-International was in Epworth, Harare where we spend our Saturday (June 2nd) with High school girls who have huge and amazing dreams. In attendance besides me, were doctors, nurses, accountants, engineers who took time to give some career guidance and motivational speaking to the girls. Most of these accomplished individuals who came to support the initiative are people who braved through their challenging upbringings and created lemonade out of lemons.
The launch was a success and we intend to expand to other remote areas around Zimbabwe. In line with Plan-International’s “Because I Am A Girl Campaign”, it is in my vision as an advocate and ambassador, to encourage other youths especially girls to reach their fullest potential amidst any form of adversity. Youths are at the center of my heart because they are very instrumental in shaping the future of any society. It is therefore very crucial to empower them with the right resources to become valuable assets to the nation of Zimbabwe and be effectual global citizens.
Take for instance this scenario I came across with recently…..
“Imagine if you were a young girl growing up in the rural areas and the most remote part of the country where globalization is just a word; don’t have access to internet, electricity and educational facilities and resources. And if you ever had access to education, you will have to walk 15 kilometers to school and another 15 kilometers back, with no food to eat during break time and no food for lunch. The only meal you know is a bowl of mealie-meal porridge without sugar that you take early in the morning and a plate of Sadza with green vegetables at night probably prepared without any cooking oil. Every day before you go to school you have to make sure that you fetch water from the river and pen the cattle; and after school, you have to go and work in the irrigation sites to earn a few dollars to survive on. Yet despite all that, you still dream big and have high aspirations for your future. And still remain adamant that your dreams will come true one day and will be able to take yourself out of poverty.”
These are some of the cases I experience in my work and inspire me a lot to keep on pushing forward amidst harsh conditions. I however wonder, if you were a young girl growing up in such circumstances, how would you overcome your circumstances and try to change your life for the better? I believe our environment does play a huge role in our development and has an influence on how far we go in life. Hence, unless we have had an opportunity to get exposed to what’s possible in life and have been taught about the value of education, equipped with the right resources to empower us, to believe in ourselves from a young age and have been encouraged to reach our fullest potential with the right support system; the changing of our circumstances for the better may require a huge huge huge abragada kind of miracle!
If you have been blessed with all resources to allow you inherit a prosperous future, do develop a keen eye that looks around to see where help is needed and act on it. As youths, we have the duty and mandate to serve our communities to the best of our abilities and make sure we leave a lasting legacy for generations to come. Change begins with us as individuals and it’s up to us to make an effort and be the change we aspire to see in our communities. If we all could advocate for the importance of education and strive to leave our communities a little better than we met, we will be able to effect change and create a sturdy foundation that allows individuals to develop, maintain peace and craft sustainable value for themselves. It is not an easy task but we can do it if we have a sense of strong will & conviction.
Those who grew up in the rural areas or under challenging circumstances, and have made it in life; do have the duty and mandate to go and give back to the communities they grew up in and motivate the youths there to keep dreaming big. If they made it coming from such an environment anyone else can make it too. We all have a greater responsibility to ensure that we prevent future generations from being trapped in perpetual ignorance. If we keep hope alive, the future looks bright. Let’s keep the fight and dreaming big!
