The youth of today is the driving force of tomorrow.

Young people are a crucial segment of society; they are the basis for future development. Young people are social actors of change and can serve as a pressure group to lobby governments in defining their priorities. It has been clearly stressed that youth are not only the leaders of tomorrow, but the partners of today. Youth have some responsibility towards their country. We need to learn from yesterday and live with hope for a better tomorrow. We can learn from our past how the young warriors shed their blood for the country. Look at Ebenezer Ako-Adjei a member of the big six in Ghana history who at his youthful stage at Lincoln University, Pennsylvania participated actively about the emancipation of African countries from colonial domination. He was also instrumental in introducing Dr. Kwame Nkrumah to the political scene in Ghana and Dr. Nkrumah later became the first president of Ghana. It takes just a minute or few seconds to expose intelligent humans to the most inevitable and powerful truth in life but it takes years to prove the same. And hey, we are alive and powerful. So let’s look around and listen to that cry of mother Ghana, which is unheard. Choose your role and act appropriately.

We all have some responsibility towards our country, which we must understand and practice. Youth and nation have to walk hand in hand. Most importantly, the youth should be honest and hard working. Youth should stand against all the wrong doings in the country instead of blaming the system. Youth of Ghana should come together and with their toil should mould our nation for a better tomorrow. We, the youth should use our brains, strength, creativity and imagination to serve our nation. Instead of asking, who’s going to fight the corruption? We should do it ourselves, rather than fighting upon the issues and ruining the country, we should learn to develop it. I salute all those youths of the past who made an effort to make a difference. We are back bone to the nation and can change the future of the society with our well being and courageous behavior.

Unfortunately today we find the youth those who are more interested in other places which are not useful to them as well as nation. They choose to spend their days doing drugs and armed robbery. They spend their nights partying and living it up, so to speak. More and more young men and women of this age group are sitting at home or roaming about aimlessly instead of bettering themselves or going to work. They have no vision and if they do have dreams they do not have the drive to make any attempt at achieving them. We must get control of this. We must motivate our youth. We must teach responsibility and goal setting. I fear if we do not we will soon be supporting an entire generation of homeless and needlessly on welfare families. Things have to change, with our schools, with the older generation being good role models, with the older generation being mentors, and with the youth who are right now doing nothing.

Those of you are in age of teen, you have a choice. You can allow yourselves to stay your course and do nothing or you can rise above what the cynics around you expect and go get educated or get jobs. Show the older generation they are wrong about you. Let them know you have intelligence and skills. Show yourself what you are made of. You might be surprised at how proud of yourself you become with even the smallest of accomplishments. I can tell you that nothing can happen if you do not try bad or good. You will not become rich overnight either way but at least if you make an effort, then you have begun your journey to your dreams.

The youth of today is the driving force of tomorrow. It has some responsibility towards its country, which it must acknowledge and practice. Instead of blaming the system, youth should come together and mould the nation for a better tomorrow. If any section of the society in any country is most important for change, again it is the young people. Patriotism comes naturally to young people, but they also respond early to the call of Internationalism.

The youth compete with sporting spirit. Just look at the spirit of Internationalism that today prevails in the soccer (football) world. With the start of any football tournament, no matters which team wins, football wins, Youthfulness will win. The spirit of oneness will win. Black stars, Satellite and others. Let’s look at the team spirit or oneness they show in the field of play and try out things.

And hey, we are alive and powerful. So let’s look around and listen to that cry of mother Ghana, which is unheard. Choose your role and act appropriately.

God bless you all.

Article written by:

Boateng, E.K.

Email:kwabena1170@yahoo.com