Everyone in Kanungu claims to care about youth yet if you examine the evidence rather than the rhetoric, a different picture emerges.
Kanungu has thousands of young people completing school every year. Some graduate from universities. Others acquire vocational skills. Many possess ambition, energy, and ideas. Yet the dominant conversation in the district remains politics, not opportunities.
But how many leaders in Kanungu are demanding better internet infrastructure for rural entrepreneurs? How many are fighting for technology training? How many are lobbying investors to establish businesses that can employ Kanungu youth graduates?
The problem is not that Kanungu lacks talented young people. The problem is that the district lacks institutions dedicated to converting talent into productivity.
A young person in Nyanga with a business idea needs capital, mentorship, networks, and markets. A young graduate needs opportunities to gain experience.
An innovator needs access to technology and information. These things do not emerge automatically. They require deliberate investment and advocacy by our own leaders.
Often times, when district discussions occur, youth issues are often treated as secondary concerns. Development is discussed as roads, buildings, and political appointments. These are important. But development is ultimately about people.
A district where young people are unemployed, underutilized, and disconnected from economic opportunity cannot claim success simply because a few infrastructure projects have been completed.
Youth are praised as the future while being excluded from opportunities that shape that future.
We need a coherent strategy for youth advancement.
And perhaps this raises a more difficult question.
Why are young people waiting for someone to speak for them?
History shows that every significant social and economic transformation has been driven by organized groups demanding change.
The youth of Kanungu should not merely seek representation; they should build it. They should organize, innovate, advocate, and participate in shaping public priorities.
End.
Akankwasa Sharifu.
