WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BREAK THE CHAIN OF POOR BACKGROUND IN OUR QUEST TO CAUSE A REAL CHANGE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION.???

 

The Village man's son writes...

In West African countries, the high prevalence of poverty is a serious canker that stands to threaten the future of the youth and generations yet unborn if measures are not immediately instituted to mitigate or curb it. 

In 2024, it was reported by the United Nation Economic Commission for Africa that a significant 468 million people are living in extreme poverty. 

Still on the statistics of this worrisome analysis, Ghana youth unemployment stood at 5.41% and this figure represents the percentage of the labor force aged between 15-24 who are without work but actively seeking work. 

Also, a total of 7.3 million Ghanaians representing 24.3% of the household population who are predominantly youth are multidimensionally poor. (GSS June, 2024)

In the face of the above,  the future of the youth looks very bleak and there is no hope looking at what's confronting us. It's a trite knowledge that a lot of families in the West African countries are suffering from "chronic poor backgrounds" 

This social canker is a worrisome phenomenon that has to be tackled head-on to break this chain. A critical situation like this can't however be addressed without embarking on deliberate and time-tested well well-planned measures. 

We need a different narrative about this reality and a multifaceted approach needs to be adopted. 

Formal education and skills acquisition, the youth must take education,  training, and skills acquisition very seriously. Acquiring a certificate in any relevant field of study would guarantee the chance of getting well-paid jobs. We must learn hands-on in-demand skills that can make us relevant and strategically positioned to wage the fight against this war. 

Good governance and social safety needs. 

Good governance and robust social safety nets are crucial for addressing the root causes of poverty and reducing the likelihood of individuals and families remaining in unfavorable socioeconomic circumstances. By ensuring effective governance, societies can create an environment conducive to economic development, while well-designed social safety nets provide a crucial buffer against shocks and offer opportunities for upward mobility. 

Population control. We must control our high population growth to assist us in planning for our families. Any family whose population growth has outpaced its productivity is a recipe for cyclical poor backgrounds. We must embark on campaigns, awareness campaigns, and sensitization exercises to educate the youth on some of the negative implications of having a very large family so that this issue of large families can be reduced if not stopped completely. 

Delay gratification and goal setting. Learning to delay immediate gratification and setting achievable goals provides direction and motivation. As youth, there are certain immediate satisfactions we need to religiously postpone in an attempt to break the chains of a poor background. We have needs and wants. And in our quest to grow and to change the status quo, we need self-discipline, we need to do some kind of "Fasting" so as to focus on our goals that would benefit us in the long term. 

Breaking away from negative habits.  Some bad habits are sinking our future down into the gutters of hopelessness and suffering and we need to break away from them. Some habits such as substance abuse, excessive spending, and gambling among others are poverty contributors, and working to change them is essential if we want to break the chains of our poor backgrounds. 

Refraining from conflicts and Wars is also another issue that can assist us in our struggle to unfriend poverty. During wars and conflicts, a lot of lives and property are lost. And as the future leaders, let us not allow ourselves to be used as the means to destroy our future. We must be mindful of our actions and inactions. There are some things that when we do them, it's tantamount to signing a poverty-thriving contract between you and your generations to come and pay for it. 

Hard work, determination, and consistency. Some of the financially potent families now are a result of the sacrifices, hard work, and determination of one person who agreed to go through the Mile. We must arm ourselves to work hard, persevere, and be consistent with whatever good we might be doing for nothing good comes easy. And that is why our sages said that "the height that great men have attained was not reached by a sudden flight. But while their counterparts were comfortably sleeping during the night, they were seriously toiling upwards the success ladder". 

Poverty is our greatest enemy and all our energies should be channelled in addressing it no matter how exhaustive it might take. 

"Where you sit when you're old tells you where you stood when you were young." 

This proverb is a reminder that our actions have long-term consequences and that, the seeds of our future are sown in our youth. It encourages young people to make thoughtful decisions, cultivate good habits, and strive for personal growth, as these efforts will contribute to a more fulfilling and dignified old age.  

Kumborhu Fuowie Osman 

0553786917.