What Future for the African Child?

Published on 16th June 2009

Africa celebrated the Day of the African Child under the theme: Africa Fit for Children: Call for Accelerated Action towards their Survival. The day is held in memory of thousands of black South African school children who took to the streets in 1976 to protest against the inferior quality of their education and imposed medium of teaching. Hundreds of young boys and girls were shot down and thousands other people injured in the two weeks of protest that ensued.


Thirty three years down the line, the African child has been taught that the continent is poor and all that is African is inferior. He has seen the continent’s elites and politicians let off the hook after looting their respective governments' coffers; instigating violence; cheating in elections and failing to relinquish power. The child has seen leaders consumed by short-term thinking, auction their countries. Consequently, Africa is raising young people who are passive, have no self confidence; depend on externally generated development paradigms and are set to brave the high seas to flee the continent.


It is time Africa’s leaders and elites led by example. They ought to invest in enabling the African child to exploit the continent’s resources and convert its challenges into opportunities for wealth creation. The African child on the other hand must shun the mentality of being a 'leader of tommorow' and start practicing leadership in the field at hand. Only then shall Africa be fit for children and accelerate their survival.


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