LACK OF AMBITION AND FINANCIAL ADVANCEMENT

 Every one wants to be financially successful. In his book Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill notes that lack of ambition is one of the most common causes of failure in life. I do not know how true it is but I have related with some youths up to university level who lack noble ambition. A university graduate will settle for passing their exams and expect that a job is "guaranteed". This is how our education system has wired us to believe that there is an already made job for a  graduate. If we are to look at the statistics, over 70% of Ugandans are below 30 years . Their biggest challenge is youth unemployment. Over 300,000 graduates are produced by universities and other tertiary institutions. The formal jobs produced per year are about 70,000.So there is a total mismatch.

This state of affairs needs to be addressed .This is because a number of social ills are being manifested. In 2023 there was a group of boys who ganged up and  looted peoples' valuables such as phones. Just this year a youth was killed for murdering a prominent businessman in this country. Most drug addicts are youths. Uganda is really becoming insecure due to an increase in the number of unemployed youths. People can no longer move at night because they fear to be hit by iron bars

The above state of events is bad enough to cause  despair in the mind of a development activist to make a change in addressing the unemployment dilemma. Why is a lack of ambition related to financial advancement? Iam not castigating the youths.  A number of them are doing their best to uplift their standards. Iam speaking to those youths who have decided to live at the periphery yet they are in a productive age with very many opportunities that they can tap into. Iam addressing the issue of some youths waiting "free money" instead of using opportunities presented to change their circumstances. There are some youths that are invited for financial literacy trainings and they say they do not have time and transport. Others even ask if they will be given transport allowance.

To address the above anomalies, the following should be done:

1.Mindset change programmes that are tailored at making youths agents of positive change are critical.

2. Financial literacy training for youths right from primary level to university

3.Youth mentorship programs are key

4.Involving youths in decision making policies

It is true that Uganda is composed of mostly young people. Over 70% are below 30 years of age. Some of the challenges that they face include lack of access to dignified unemployment and this has an effect on their financial advancement. In turn it has led to social ills such as an increase in crime. However all hope is not lost since programs such as mindset change and financial literacy training can change the narrative.

Phillip Kiryowa 

Finance and Leadership Coach

+256752615916

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