OPINION: How more youth in Africa can pursue dreams

Too many people haven’t had the chance to pursue their dreams because they didn’t have a cushion to fall back on if they failed.

If I had to support my family growing up, instead of having the time to learn how to code. If I didn’t know that I would be fine if Facebook didn’t work out…” - Mark Zuckerberg at Harvard commencement 2017.

The above is a fact that gives all youth, especially in Africa a major food-for-thought.

Here are some interesting facts.

In recent decades, as per the Word Inequality Report, income inequality has increased in nearly all countries.

Sub-Saharan Africa, along with Middle East, Brazil and India, have set the world “inequality frontier”, with more than 50 per cent of their national income received by only the top 10 per cent earners. These extremely high inequality rates have remained relatively stable for Sub-Saharan Africa, at around 55 per cent, between 1980 and 2015. What does this say about the remaining 90 per cent of the population, most of which stuck in poverty and mediocrity?

The report suggests shifts in tax, educational, wage-setting and corporate governance policies in addressing the issues.

However, I would like to go much deeper on these suggested structural reforms, all the way down to the individual level, and ask; what do we have to do to contribute in squeezing these inequality rates?

Africa has the largest youngest population in the world. This equips us with many super-charged brains, and many ideas.

However, how many of these ideas have been slept on under pillows for decades, and even taken to graves?

The continent’s poverty levels being so high, leaves many people without the cushion of wealthy families to fall back on if they failed; and with the burden to provide for families from early ages. But again, does it mean that all the wonderful, life changing ideas in these situations are doomed? Most certainly not!

Below are some often overlooked cushions to leverage on.

1.Small families: Undoubtedly, more responsibilities limit risk taking. For instance, more children - less inclination for one to leave a job or drop out of school to pursue dreams. There is no better time to pursue dreams than when you have a small family.

2.Pre-family: Limited responsibilities and ample free time, for instance during University years, are golden opportunities for one to pursue dreams.

Many people disappointedly realise this much later in their lives. We must help younger generations seize these moments.

3. Multiple jobs, one roof: An idea, a job, and a supportive spouse or partner who also has a job, is one of the best cushions. One job can be sacrificed in exchange for a slight, but temporary decrease in quality of life. Capture the moment, now!

4.Wealthy families: Although being a much rare opportunity for people from poor countries, this cushion has not been fully explored. Donald Trump for instance, Ellon Musk, and Nike Co-Founder Phil Knight, were all loaned money by their fathers to start their hugely transformative empires. “The first initial start-up capital for amazon.com came primarily from my parents.” Jeff Bezos once shared. The late Sam Walton only had $5,000 of the $25,000 he needed to start Walmart.

The rest was a loan from his father-in-law. Now, instead of children in Africa using their parent’s wealth only to ride expensive cars and wear expensive clothes, then squander inheritance money and reduce to poverty, they should probe their minds even deeper and not waste this rare opportunity. Similarly, such parents must support and encourage their children to pursue their dreams.

5. Supportive families: In a perfect world, all families would be the number one cheerleaders of their people. Unfortunately, that is not the case. The fear of not meeting family expectations; even worse, the dread of the gloating that await our failures, have been met by many more dreams going to graves.

This cushion must be leveraged when available, and when not, dreamers should nevertheless muster the courage to proceed.

I strongly hold two arguments: 1. Life in poor countries cannot be business as usual! 2. Personal development is national development.

My quest is to call on everyone to leave no stone unturned in reaching their highest potential. Seize every opportunity, now!