New government must make good its ‘hustler’ promise to lift the youth – Business Daily
Supporters of President William Ruto react as they gather at the Moi International Sports Center Kasarani on September 13, 2022 ahead of his inauguration. PHOTO | NMG
Our education system focuses on the premise that if you are hardworking, and pass your exams well up to university, then you have endless possibilities and opportunities at your disposal. The sad reality is the case, but for a very limited few.
Things become worse for those that opt to open a business. The cost of capital is high, and the road to getting these much-needed resources, is laden with land mines. By the time one gets the monies, they are mentally exhausted and work tirelessly to meet the almost unrealistic demands of paying back the funding organisation.
They then set out to look for opportunities to grow their revenue streams, and new challenges set in. Take for example, a tender whose criteria is that you need to have gained significant number of years of experience in your area of expertise to access the opportunity.
Sometimes, this can be waived, as an initiative to empower the youth. However, this may mean being paid less for the job and that payment terms are increased up to 120 days, if not more.
It is therefore quite evident, that we need to broaden the opportunities for them to make a comfortable living. Not all of us are going to be successful at our jobs or businesses. However, we have men and women, who have proved time and time again that they can be successful in sports.
We have many great athletes who have overcome odds to make it to the international stage. The government has left sports management to cartels and individuals who are hell-bent on self-aggrandizement.
Our sports fields and facilities are dilapidated and offer little value in helping our citizens to grow their talents. There are no serious tournaments from the county level to the national level that can help us spot talent early and therefore begin to nurture it aggressively.
And please, don’t even get me started on our artistes. We have made it impossible for them to receive commensurate compensation for their music. We have literally decimated our creativity and opted to rely on that of other countries.
This cycle of disillusionment cannot continue. We are killing the very essence of our youth. We are telling them that they are not good enough, and creating excessive obstacles, even for the few outliers that are able to make it out of the mess we have created as a country. This must change now!
