Oftentimes the challenges of Africa – poverty, disease, and environmental degradation among others – are put in sharp contrast to the inspiring potential of the next generation, our own generation. And it is true. Here at Society of African Reformers (SOAR)/ SOAR Africa Youth Foundation, we see Youths across Africa starting numerous initiatives with great potential every day. As a result it becomes quite easy to imagine the large scale, systemic change the next generation will bring throughout their lifetimes; I have often time exonerated this generational bracket as my own; a generation of Cheetah. Ultimately, isn’t that exactly what we need, not just in the developing world, but everywhere – a new generation of leaders of positive change? But how?
These are the vital and Challenging Questions we get every day.
How did George William Bakka started a microfinance organization at age 19? Lillian Aero, a social enterprise employing 36 women affected by HIV/AIDS at age 26? And Phiona Ntegeka plunged an initiative that has planted 20,000 tree seedlings in a heavily deforested area of her community at age 19? In fact, The Future is in our hands as youths, and I believe SOAR was born on this ideological foundation, for change and entrepreneurial skills; aimed towards youths in the likes of George William, Lillian, Phiona, and hundreds of other Youths across Africa and elsewhere with the skills, experience, and mentoring needed to create positive change through a new model of education and consciousness in Africa.
In order to unlock the potential of the next generation, an advocacy that provides the foundation to create positive change is needed not just for a selected few, but for the entire generation of African youths. We are guided by the belief that all African youth can, and should, benefit from experience of creating positive change, and contributing – in their own way, whether “big” or “small” – to stronger communities, all we need it is to invest our greater skills and talents towards the numerous developmental goals in Africa.
To break the barrier and provide access to such a model of Advocacy, and to reach more than just a selected few, SOAR has started working towards systemic change. SOAR system may not do so now, but it has more potential than any single NGO or institution to provide such an experience to the greatest number of African youth. Therefore, we work to incorporate our model of Advocacy into the National and transnational orientation and educational system.
In order to change Africa and solve the problems of poverty, disease, and environmental degradation – as George William, Lillian, and Phiona did, we need a collaborative efforts of the willing youths to render their leadership and entrepreneurial skills in the immediate development of Africa.
The failures of democracy and leadership in many places around the globe, particularly Africa are disheartening. A ray of optimism is the centers for social innovation, social entrepreneurship, sustainable businesses etc. that are springing up due to students, labor unions, youth and community leaders, etc and their demand for many colleges and universities. There is a strong core of young people who seem to be more open to collaboration and entrepreneurial thinking than their elders.
We need multi-disciplinary university learning communities that stress both general education and entrepreneurial specialties to help this Cheetah (our) generation develop the collaborative based solutions to eradicate poverty, conflict, energy and environmental degradation that are so desperately needed. Hopefully some of these models will begin to be replicated on institutions of higher learning, and some model secondary school at all level as well, and we believe that SOAR will provide the necessary solutions since it’s an apple house for great Minds, Young African Leaders.
To provide the foundations for stronger communities and for a culture free of the 'bred-into mentality' SOAR in its mission statement agrees that the answer lies with social innovation; it's often a lack of education, which is a physical barrier to engagement in public life.
The Youth as an instrument of change will need to decide and encourage or persuade the middle age and the elders to collaborate with us for acceptance, for proactive peaceful change to occur.
Through Hope we can shape the destiny of Africa.
Let us each provide a respective answers towards the best framework solutions for the overall interest and development of Africa.
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