When you grow up in Africa, you get used to a few things. You get used to a world opinion that constantly defines you as a continent with the hope of achieving greatness someday even though in your take, Africa is already great. You get used to countless stories on CNN and other western media that depict the ills of the continent. The world over, when people tackle the issue of leadership in Africa, they envision the Idi Amins of Africa, the Mobutu Sesekos and depict civil wars as a daily reality everywhere in the continent. In the face of the world, we have all been child soldiers at some point in our lives, we have been uncivilized and acted inhumane towards others. The world thinks that we all face hunger and go for days on without food. The world’s opinion is that every election in Africa is dogged with irregularities and post-election violence is an outstanding aspect of all our elections. At the back of my mind; I understand the world view, I understand that many times people will naturally expect the worst of us. Also at the back of my mind is a nagging reality that there are great stories to tell about Africa, there are children who laugh and make merry, there are stories about students who go through schooling in Africa and impact the history of the continent. Having interacted widely with young leaders from other African countries, I have seen a lacking of confidence in our continent. Our pain and struggles have become easy prey for people from other parts of the world to make career of.
Posted on: Mon, 08 Jul 2013 17:16:24 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015