The youth should be very thoughtful and against all odds prepare themselves with whatever resources and opportunities that are at their disposal for a better tomorrow. Shakespeare once argued that “The future is very ambiguous, simply because we cannot visualise it nor predict it but we can prepare ourselves for it”.
Back in the days, Namibia, with its virgin land, was exploited by colonial oppressors. As a result, it prompted our forefathers and foremothers to courageously sacrifice their precious lives to liberate our country through cumbersome negotiations, barrel of guns and blood spilling – although some of them perished during the liberation struggle. May their souls rest in peace!
Furthermore, they fearlessly crossed crocodile-infested rivers and thick forests, teeming with wild animals, but the ultimate aim was to gain political independence and sovereignty.
Henceforth, they have brought us freedom so that we can proudly thrive on it. Now, the rest is upon us, the youth, to fight for economic freedom. Namibia, as a country, is endowed with copious resources and opportunities such as education, arts, sports and entrepreneurship – just to mention a few. These opportunities are widely open – awaiting us to grab them and earn a living out of them. Therefore, let’s productively utilise these opportunities and natural resources at our disposal before they get exhausted and extinct.
To cement my argument, I’m vigorously impressed by a young orphan girl from Mbwata village, 130 KM, east of Rundu. Despite being abandoned by her father and having hailed from a destitute family and an impoverished background, it didn’t hinder her to pursue her dream, eventually scooping a precious medal at an athletic competition of such high magnitude.
Even though she failed testosterone test, which did not allow her to partake in 400m, she decided to be against all odds and had the courage and moral fibre to run and emerge victorious on women’s 200m final and won a silver medal, which was last won in Namibia 25 years ago by Frankie Fredricks.
As diminutive as she is, her future looks bright, provided she gets proper and effective mentorship and sponsorship. I’m quite sure that foreigners are wondering and inquisitively asking themselves where Namibia is situated as a country. Namibians are very proud of her for raising the land of the brave flag high and higher.
To sum up, my heart shudders to the core when I see young people engaging themselves in profane endeavours such as alcohol and drug abuse, having sex with multiple partners and nagging about materials that they haven’t worked for. It seems we are suffering from the syndromes, called self-doubt, self-pity and inferiority complex.
If Mboma did it, why can’t we do it – in one way or another? Mind you, a country’s development is determined by the minds of its citizens. As the youth, let’s join our hands and raise the Namibian flag higher as well as build Namibia in one way or another – from the periphery of the mighty Orange River to that of the Zambezi River. So, ask yourself, what have you done for your mighty country?