JIACTIVATE YOUTH WITH DIFFERENT-ABILITIES
JIACTIVATE YOUTH WITH DIFFERENT-ABILITIES
“A mind is stretched by new experiences, drops the old norms and doesn’t dare to go back”
How many people can you register by tomorrow, for a workshop by the Organization of Africa Youth, at Africa Nazarene University? The queries had no response so I was excited when the session began and the agenda spoken up to me. #Jiaactivate is a campaign that focuses to identify an amplify issues facing the youth so as to address and achieve sustainable solutions for the upcoming National Youth Declaration. The youth in Kenya face four categories of anguish in Corruption, food Security, Health Care, and Unemployment.
<<<The never-ending reports of hundreds to thousands to billions of shillings which disappear on daily basis>>>>
Corruption is notably the most discussed subjective topic in the country; whereby we are pointing fingers to the politicians who bribe for votes and the leaders who run away with billions for buying wheelbarrows. We stare at the police officers who enjoy the daily collection by bashing and harassing the citizens trying to make a genuine living. Yet we forget that we hand out the compromising coin, we buy lunch in exchange of a favour and we break any and every rule in the book knowingly we can escape with a hefty pocket.
Let us address the endless saga of doctors on strike and doctors’ inadequate services which leads me to question where has humanity gone. A generation with quack doctors with no certified training, national hospitals lacking vital equipment or medications and a generation that venerates by innocent people losing their lives while they demand more lavish allowances.
The five-year chronicle between droughts followed by hunger then a crop attack by army worms and ultimately the lack of unga.
<<<< This interesting narrative which surprises the nation every time, even though we can predict the order>>>.
It stands out as a contest for power or a food monopoly whereby the regulators in the food market can decide when to or not to meet the demands of the people. We indeed calculate the tragedy of globe warming and its consequences and we can also question those that hoard maize while the state goes into a mode of panic and starvation.
Finally, is the exhausted cries of overly qualified professions who are lacking a stable pay check since the nation is developing and the ticket is whomever you know and how deep can your pockets go.
Here is my perspective:
Corruption is when parents have to bribe doctors to attend to their “disabled” child, when we buy wheelchairs from sponsored charity organizations, when I am charge extra money and extra effort in every situation for being different. HealthCare forgets people with Disabilities require certain specialists, the medications and the exaggerated services. Health care does not cover people with disabilities and those healthcare systems that do are unreasonably expensive. The government gives an insufficient sum of 1.2 billion to cater to 6 million Kenyans living with disabilities. Unemployment is equated in one statement, those who can, can’t and those who can’t? Meaning the agony of the physically and mentally abled to find employment fall on deaf ears, what about those who don’t see or walk or talk or reason accordingly to find employment.
I am a proudly Africa, the pride of Kenya runs through my veins and I recall the past generations fought for our independence and my present generation should be working for our sustainable development. Truly we, the youth have most important role to play for what we do today, we either ruin or make tomorrow. In writing this, I am proudly differently abled, living with Cerebral palsy, Indeed, youth contribute of variety people, those of different gender, different tribes, different educational backgrounds, different socio-economical classes, different mentalities and so as those with different abilities.
Maria Njeri
Student, Africa Nazarene University