The world recently celebrated International Youth Day on the 12th of August. The day passed with some youths not noticing that it is their day. Mostly because of the responsibilities they are starting to take on as they move from childhood to adulthood – very terrifying and yet exciting time for any young adult.
It is a time to reflect and decide whether to change the course of your life or walk on steadfastly in the path you initially chose; a time to change friends or keep the ones you picked in the innocence of childhood; a time to celebrate the achievements you have attained thus far. You could be a math genius who got a sponsorship to study at an international university. Or you could be a young doctor just opening up his or her own practice. Most youths at this very crucial time in their lives find themselves landed in the arms of God.
An example can be of entertainers amongst them Botswana’s Vee, former Mokaragana presenter Joel, commonly known as Ntsoro; as well as international entertainers like Proverb of South Africa and United States’ DMX.
Many may conclude that most people turn to God only when times are hard but the fact of the matter is that there comes a time in everyone’s lives when the company of others still leaves you cold.
The Youth Day celebrations did not go unnoticed in other circles amongst them Twitter and Facebook, places with hook-ups on the latest news.
On the day Phenyo Moroka of Yarona FM’s Mojo in the Morning took time to post an article from Forbes on his Twitter page. The link had some words of advice for those in their 20s from the owner of Docstoc. A time when a lot of us are not aware of the impending coming years that go beyond the 20s. Amongst the 20 things the businessman talked about was the fact that time is not a limitless commodity. He said that time is the only treasure we start off with in abundance. He also pointed out that talent is overrated.
“Unrefined raw materials (no matter how valuable) is simply wasted potential. Even the most seemingly gifted folks methodically and painfully worked their way to success,” he wrote.
We are all trying to emulate the rich who have the luxury to sleep in everyday. We are also trying to copy the workaholics who work into the night. The owner of Docstoc advised against it saying that one is more productive in the morning when they can catch most people still in their offices.
He also said that Social Media is not a career. And that one should not hide behind their computer and look lost when there is no internet. “Don’t be pansy, pick up the phone.”
“I think Youth Day passed without our leaders noticing,” said Chris Bareki, a Motswana on how he spent his day. “I guess it shows how futile we are as the youth in this country. I am hopeful that one day we will be on a platform where we will celebrate it.”
On how content he is as a Botswana youth and where he stands when it comes to having achieved his dreams, Bareki said that he is not entirely content but rather comfortable with where he is in life. He pointed out that not all of us will achieve our dreams.
“Dynamics of life pushed me to realize certain aspects other than what I dreamt of when I was a child. So I had to take a different route from my childhood dreams. When my career choice changed, everything changed too. From the kind of friends I keep, to the lifestyle I live.”
On what the country can do to put the youth on a better pedestal, Bareki said that the government is doing all it can to address the issues concerning the youth – be it alcohol abuse or unemployment.
“We should appreciate that as the youth of Botswana. The initiatives, if well implemented, will benefit both the youth and the country. I can only appeal that our country tries to go beyond borders and utilize the relationship it has with other countries in terms of youth development.”
