If these graduates were asked of their
career paths in basic schools some ten or twenty years ago, they would have
given definite answers, such as dreams of becoming seasoned and accomplished
journalists, politicians who will transform the fortunes of the country,
academics who will grow and nurture the upcoming generation, health
practitioners who will treat their patients with love and dignity, lawyers and
judges who will ensure fairness and equity in the country, development practitioners and social workers
who will implement solution-oriented interventions to improve the livelihoods
of the vulnerable, commercial farmers who will feed the country and beyond,
clerics who will be responsible for moral and spiritual uprightness in the
country. “When you dream, dream big! Big as the ocean for dreams come true”.
These words probably informed the ambitions and dreams of many Ghanaians in
their formative years. Growing up, the youth of Ghana had big and wild dreams.
Dreams of changing the narrative in Ghana and the continent. Dreams of putting
the country on the world map. Those days as kids, the youth didn’t need a “Joseph”
to interpret these dreams for us. We were hopeful, optimistic and certain of an
amazing and clear future. However, with the reality dawning on us, we probably
need a “Joseph” to even determine if our dreams were actually valid dreams or
hallucinations. Growing up, we were told
education is the key to success, now we keep on wondering if the padlock has
been changed or we have been given the wrong keys.
The fundamental question that lingers on
the mind of the average Ghanaian Youth is, should we even continue to dream of
a better Ghana when the night is over and the day is staring at us in the
faces? The dreams we had as children seem to have become a nightmare for many. The
honest reality is that, we live in a country where securing a job after
tertiary education is actually a miracle which calls for thanksgiving and
sacrifices. We live in a country where the pressure on young female graduates to
marry right after school appears to be exceedingly greater than the pressure on
elected government functionaries to provide social and economic infrastructure.
The reality of many graduates being underemployed and exploited by some
employers due to the unavailability of jobs if luck shines on you with a job.
These and many others are the realities facing the Ghanaian Youth.
Indeed, Most Ghanaian graduates seem to
be at a crossroads and urgent steps must be taken to restore hope and
confidence in them. If we are not fast about this, all the youth will seek
asylum and greener pastures outside the country and we will have no abled men
and women to lead us on the battlefield when the time is due.
It appears as though the world is
crushing on the dreams of many youth. Rather interestingly, why will the dreams
of these younger folks not become a nightmare when as a country we have not
been able to collectively put up a “decent accommodation” where we can all
sleep and dream peacefully? Have we for once thought of what binds us together
as a country? What values are we proud of as a country in our quest to ensure a
better Ghana? What unique trait identifies us as a people in our quest to put
ourselves on the global map? What value does the average Ghanaian hold dear to
his or her heart in nation-building? What legacy are we leaving for future
generations? These and many other legitimate questions raise the fundamental
issue if as a country, we have ever had a dream or vision for the youth.
Fellow Ghanaians, fellow countrymen and
women, my brothers and sisters, It would have been ideal to have a national “dream”,
what we can call the Ghanaian dream. A dream that can keep us awake to work our
hearts out as a people. A dream that can bind us together irrespective of which
part of the country one hails from. A dream that generations yet unborn will surely
and gladly follow. Do we really need a Ghanaian dream when the dreams of many Ghanaian
graduates appear to be shuttered? “How can the “passenger” (youth) arrive at
his/her “destination” (dreams) when the “bus” (collectively as a country) is not fit for the journey yet we keep on blaming
and changing only the “drivers” (politicians) though they hold the steering
wheel?”.
Admitting these realities facing the
Ghanaian Youth, it is worth mentioning that, even though all is not rosy, all
hope is not yet lost on the dreams of the Ghanaian Youth. Over the past years, a lot of donor-funded Projects
have specifically targeted youth employability and development aimed at
offering employable and entrepreneurial skills to many. Governments on its side
continue to initiate short-term and long-term interventions aimed at absorbing
the youth and providing a platform for entrepreneurship. A number of successful
adults continue to offer themselves to mentor the youth so as to help them make
the right choices. A good number of the youth have defied all odds and
progressing steadily in their career. A
number of influential men and women are working hard through their foundations
to correct the ills of society and make the country a better place for us all
particularly the youth.
Indeed we can dream of a better
tomorrow as youth looking at these interventions and the zeal of our fellow
compatriots.
How then can we make life bearable and
help actualize the dream of the Ghanaian Youth? In the past, successive governments have
nurtured a dream of vision 2020, positive change, better Ghana and currently
building a Ghana beyond Aid. These dreams have largely been associated with
political parties and die when their tenure of office ends. Together let us
work to build a country where anyone
from anywhere can become somebody without having to necessarily know anybody.
This must be the Ghanaian dream. This must be the call for action. And this
will surely create a path of progress for the youth. This dream will surely
offer opportunities to all without any fear or favour. It will urge the youth
to strive harder and be assured of greatness.
To actualize this dream, we all need to
come out of our shelves. The media must offer responsible, accurate and informed
reportage. Academics must not only train students to pass exams but train the
minds, conscience and imbibe a sense of nationalism in their students. Clerics
must not hide under the cassock to seek their parochial interest. Bureaucrats must
always be mindful of their call to public service and not private service. We
need a high sense and spirit of patriotism.
And to the Political class, you have
been vested with state power and resources to lead in the actualization of this
dream. This is your duty to Mother Ghana. The charge is to create an enabling environment
as you always say. Let this guide your conscience in every step you take.
Indeed, the youth of Ghana can dream. A
dream backed by actions and not mere rhetoric. Let us soldier on.
Indeed, let us keep moving as young
people, someday we will actualize this dream.
Surely, the heavens will smile at our
efforts one day.
May God bless our homeland Ghana and
make our nation great and strong.
Vincent Ohene-Ntow
YALI Dream
A Better Ghana
A Brighter Africa
Facebook; Kwame Ohene-Ntow
Email: vincentntow12@gmail.com
Personal Blog; mirrorofafrica.blogspot.com
The writer is a Development Practitioner and a Local
Government Enthusiast. He holds a Master’s degree in Development Policy and
Planning from KNUST and a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration from the
University of Ghana Business School. He is an Alumnus of the Young African
Leadership Initiative (YALI, RLC).
