By: Kandjengo kaMkwaanyoka – From Okwalondo with love
It is delusional to say we know what the youth want if we never engage them.
Just because your political party has two young people that you have assimilated does not give leaders some sort of wisdom to understand us.
Pardon me, but I am irked by political leaders who keep assuming they know what we are going through.
We are graduates who have spent five to seven years without getting the job we studied for. They are asking us to be born with experience, and we are being asked for collateral when we seek capital for our projects.
We are being discriminated against by employers for studying in Namibia. Universities and vocational institutions are teaching us outdated courses making us uncompetitive.
Our policymakers are advocating for foreign investors to come take up our resources, and if we want the resources we should get international partners who have capital.
There are voices loudly ensuring that certain sectors are not reserved for us.
Furthermore, to take up a leadership position in political parties you have to be older than your grandparents and make sure you jump and scream or wear party colours, as opposed to being a thinker.
If you are not in Windhoek and you are a youth with an interest in economic matters, forget about having a valuable and insightful conference in your small town or village.
As for the procurement law, they made sure they ask for an arm and a leg as a performance guarantee.
There are so many speeches and disingenuous care from our elders who have no idea what we need.
Yes, I want you to subsidise beer as the new oshikundu. I am not asking you to legalise marijuana.
But I need access to equipment, machinery, affordable competitive education, capital, and better procurement laws.
Be deliberate in empowering me; give me that EPL, and set up a fund to ensure once I find the minerals, you can buy equity in my mine as seed capital.
Also, I am mad because my old leaders sold Erindi and I will never afford a farm in this country.
It highlights that our leaders have no idea what youth want or need. As I speak, I want a farm between Okahandja and Windhoek to do what needs to be done, not this annoying daily commute from Hakahana to Klein Windhoek.
I need fishing quotas, and access to a fishing trawler. I believe I can do it and I have a whole team of young souls who are ready to innovate forward.
And lastly, I need an extra 15% of our diamonds to be polished here by Namibian youth; Namdia will buy them and sell them on our behalf.
Before I let go of this keyboard, our leaders and policymakers need to respect art, music, and sport, and stop forcing us to go and study nursing and teaching. We have amazing talents that can be commodified.
And we should be allowed to take seats at the big tables and take part in policy- and decision-making.
Having a seat at the table means that, at every stage of the decision-making process, you have one or two youth representatives who are specialists in that field.
Having us there brings a different narrative, a different perspective.
It is clear you do not know what we need. We don’t want charities and speeches; we need capital, a conducive environment, deeds, EPL, fishing quotas, and better education.
Just for the record, I don’t want to join political parties so I can be carrying flags everywhere and be a yes man. I am a thinker and innovator, just take me as such.
Also colleagues, I have a certificate, diploma, and degree so please stop forcing me to get a licence and to be a nice person to people in better positions.
And since when did licences and connections become the new qualifications? No disrespect to my drivers out there, but I think we might have enough taxis in Windhoek.
Anyway, come sit down with me and my fellow souls, bring kapana so we sit down, but please do not come with your cameras, bring a pen and paper and a budget for the youth. Email: gerastus16@gmail.com
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