Confidence Replaced by Hopelessness
Confidence is waning among Kenya’s youth. They no longer believe in themselves, in their ability to move ahead and make a contribution to society. Over the past decade in my work as an educator, I have seen how hard it is for young people to deal with a system that has largely failed them. They attend school - work hard - achieve - and then what?
Students are finding what they learned in secondary school, is no longer relevant in a rapidly changing world. Skills such as IT, communications, entrepreneurship, leadership and problem solving are only taught in private and other elite schools. Even at college or university, few of our students receive training that will increase their level of confidence to succeed in the marketplace. A university degree no longer assures one of a job.
We need to find the resolve to reverse this gloomy picture. Education reform at all levels must include relevant and engaging curriculum, opportunities for volunteer community outreach, and open doors for youth to find meaningful employment. For many, seeking employment has become a frustrating exercise of failed interviews and hundreds of CV copies circulated, but never read. Our young people are losing confidence in a system that has difficulty engaging the largest sector of the population.
There is a real sense that those “from the bush” who have experienced poverty, have struggled to pay school fees, and who have not graduated from top level schools see themselves as inferior. The gap between rich and poor widens at the university level, where those with greater means find campus life easier to navigate. For one thing, they do not have to worry about where their next meal is coming from, how to acquire decent clothes, or whether they can afford to pay for a field trip to Mombasa.
Recently in my work as Principal of CESCED School of Continuing Education, I mentored students who were involved in a Think Tank project on the topics of Youth Unemployment and Youth Suicide. Research from each bore out a disturbing trend in Kenyan society, where youth are losing their way and see no real purpose in living.
“Why work hard to achieve when there is nothing prepared for me at the end of the day?”, is a phrase I often hear. Substance abuse and other harmful lifestyles are on the rise. Idleness is now replacing the ideal of hard work. Discouragement and skepticism is wearing down the fabric of our nation.
Confidence amongst our youth has now been replaced by a sense of hopelessness.
In a post-Covid era, our youth need to know they are needed and have a vital role to play in the re-building of Kenya. Our graduates must regain the confidence they need to be creative and innovative in their approach to life. Barriers that discriminate on the basis of ethnicity, tribal affiliation, gender, and other labels that marginalize people must be removed.
To feel a part of something great, one must get involved. Our youth need to believe in themselves and in their collective ability to create positive change. One of the ways to engage youth is through volunteerism - working without pay for a cause greater than one’s own. The intangible rewards, such as feelings of satisfaction, intense joy and personal accomplishment all help to build self-confidence. Often volunteerism will create networking opportunities that lead to personal growth and development, and act as a stepping stone to finding employment.
Our society cannot afford to lose its best and its brightest. We must not allow negative thinking and crippling obstacles to take away our most valued treasure, our hope for the future. Our youth need to find a new sense of purpose, where they are not limited by what others think they can or should be.
To our CES Kenya alumni I say, ”dream big and become what you truly hope for. Be confident and do not accept any limitations that life and circumstance and others place upon you. Get involved in the mainstream of life; don’t look back, except to review and be thankful for how far you have come.”
Patricia Makori
PNM Communications
