To my african brother and sister, the young generation, the actor of tomorrow

by Simeon Nkola Matamba ( Follow on Twitter)


Dear:

Undertaking to pen down what I have in mind and send it to you is not an easy exercise. I know you have a busy schedule but I dare hope you will consider this. I could have sent this via email, post office or fax, but I judged that pinning these words on the internet's wings would be easier and faster.

Despite being born of the same mother, I unfortunately came to hear of you only years later. And though I haven't seen your face yet, at least I keep learning about you, hearing your voice and feeling your strength, perceiving your courage and comitment for the common cause of our great family.

Many decades ago, the seeds were sowed for freedom and liberty. They germinated in a harvest whose firstfruits were pleasant to eat. But today, the fruits of the land are waxing bitter. Looking northwards or westwards for a better livelihood tends to become the rule. Our family suffers, poverty, unemployment, internal conflicts and what the heart doesn't delight in. The inheritance bequeathed to us is deteriorating.

I am writing to you after realizing that the onus for the future is on our shoulders. This future is foreseeable and does not lay at the end of the 22nd century.

Predictions show that Africa's population is set to double by 2050 to reach 2.4 billion.

Those are children meant to come out of our loins. The responsibility to care for them will transcend the "close family" ambit and require dynamism to adapt to the rythm of change and provide for the needs of our growing family.

The rise of human population entails de facto a rise of human needs and wants.

Adaptation and adjustment of strategies for the future is unavoidable except if we chose to embrace chaos. Our generation's role in coming years is determinant.

The compulsion to plan is awakening and our individual roles to contribute for synergy can't be downplayed. Not only in the political sphere, but mostly individually, every hand will be needed for a push. In this I mean that each one must find a place in the global vision for a better future.

I know we have had some hard times, but I believe that whatever we might have to go through must never be given the littlest opportunity to impede our movement for days and years ahead. So far, we have shown amazing resilience to such a way that living and evolving in extreme conditions is not only seen as a shame but has rather become a bragging right in some respects.

What reinforces my belief for change as a result of our concerted effort is your potential and your talents. In various fields such as art, science, music, sport, etc..your radiant energy has crossed the compound and illuminated the neighborhood with other continents desiring your limitless capabilities. With little exposure to the outer world and few opportunities, you have been able to achieve greatness.

The only hope left for a father whose dream is unfinished is to see sons  and daughters take over and perpetuate the cherished ideal of peace, independence, and  economic stability. The reward for a mother who gave all for her children's life is to be taken care of, granted rest, praise and dignity.

We can make it if we wake up and say: "Let Us Rise  And Build".