WHAT DO SOCIAL MEDIA CLIPS OF CRIME DEPICT?

 Of late there has been an increase in the wave of insecurity where innocent people are attacked and robbed of their valuable property. In the worst case scenarios even a life can be lost. This is not an easy situation to find yourself in . And we can not take it lightly. In the grand scheme of events what do these criminal acts depict and what causes them? 

Chances are high that these criminal acts can be linked to the high levels of youth unemployment. Some one said a youth without an address in terms of a source of income can devise any means to survive. Uganda is known as the Pearl of Africa and such criminal acts do not paint a good picture.

Leadership is about action and we have to do something about this situation before gets out of hand. The police and authorities will do their part and do their investigations to bring the culprits to book. However the long term solution to this state of affairs is to address the root causes of these crimes.

Youth unemployment is caused by many dimensions which partly stem from the nature of our education system that majorly raises job seekers than job creators. We should commend government and many other stakeholders for the job well done in reforming the education system into a competence based one but much more needs to be done. In a country where over 70% of the population is below 30 years it is important to redefine the mindsets of the youth so that they can become agents of social transformation.

As a financial literacy practitioner I interact with so many young people and I wonder whether they are aware of the immense opportunities at their disposal. Many are not aware and end up taking the path of least resistance. If some youths are making it in life it means that even others with the right guidance can become agents of transformation. Many banks such as Equity are at the forefront of providing financial literacy training to young people and this is an immense opportunity for them. But unfortunately many of them prefer hand outs than knowledge .

Preparation of the youths to become agents of positive transformation is the right step that will redeem them from being a "burden" to becoming a blessing to their country. We must guide the youth to transition into responsible adults who will contribute to national development other than spending time discussing about the few actors in national development.

HOW TO EMPOWER THE YOUTH.

1.The youth must be trained to develop long term visions for their lives

2.Religious and education institutions must direct the souls of the youths into responsible living

3.Skilling and vocational education should be enhanced

4. Increasing access to education for the vulnerable youths

5.Investing in talent development

6.Leadership development is important

7.Financial literacy training must be intensified in society

8.Invest in enterprise education 


Uganda is the Pearl of Africa and as such it is a land that is laden with immense potential. If a country like Singapore which is less resource endowed can attract such high levels of investment what about Uganda? There is no country that is better than its people and therefore all efforts should be made to empower the young people who form over 70% of the population to be agents of positive change in their communities . 

Phillip Kiryowa

Finance and Leadership Coach

+256752615916

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