I’ve been traveling to Africa regularly for more than two decades.
Whenever I go, I’m struck by the huge numbers of young people I
see—everywhere from the biggest cities to the remotest villages.
This is no accident.
Sixty percent of Africans are under the age of
25. The median age is 19. (By comparison, in North America it’s 35.) And
the number of young people in Africa is expected to grow in the decades
ahead.
The other thing that always strikes me during my trips to Africa is
the unbridled optimism of this young generation. Even in the face some
tough health and development challenges, most of the youth I meet have a
positive outlook about the future.
This is also no accident. Young people are often the most optimistic
people I meet. They are ambitious. They think in innovative ways and are
eager to learn the newest technologies. They are also willing to take
risks. To see Africa through their eyes is to see a continent brimming
with potential and opportunity.
Their passion for their work makes me more optimistic than ever that their generation has what it takes to help solve today’s problems and prevent tomorrow’s.
Later this month, I’ll be in New York to talk about Africa’s future at the second annual Goalkeepers
event. Ahead of the gathering, I wanted to share some of the stories of
Africa’s next generation of leaders. Here is a collection of 360 videos
about five young Africans helping to shape Africa’s future in the
fields of agriculture, health, development, sports, and wildlife
conservation.
Maria Namhindi, 25, is one of Namibia’s 1,600 community health workers who bridge the gap in health care in the remotest areas of the country.
By
No comments:
Post a Comment