Recently the news media was agog with the human interest story that two brothers had taken on the task of cleaning public places in London which nobody asked them to. Aged 23, the twins, John and James Makonjuola, are reported to own a cleaning firm but make out time to clean less popular public spaces without asking for pay. They have cleaned places such as the London Tube Station, street signs and bins. They had started cleaning places for free to show their passion for cleaning but continued when they realised how much people liked what they were doing.
Similarly, the Diana Award, established to honour young people who work to improve the lives of others, has been painstakingly identifying and celebrating thousands of young people who are positively impacting their environment. Named after the late Princess Diana, Princess of Wales, the set up believes that young people have the power to change the world. A peep into the Roll of Honour for 2023 of the Diana Award, shows the kind of things these young persons do to create and sustain social change.
For example, Favour Abatang, aged 22, from Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria, was honoured for creating ‘The Girls Up Project’ to address the issue of teenage pregnancy and girls dropping out of school. Through support programmes, advocacy and mentorship initiatives, Favour has reached over 5,000 teenage girls and helped more 3,600 teen mothers lead a better life including furthering their education. Her citation further indicates that she has raised more than 3000 dollars in funding to implement such projects as food bank, skill development and strategic town hall meetings for teen mums. She is said to lead a team of about 30 volunteers to create the impact.
From Bangladesh, Rituraj Bhomick, received the Diana Award for his commitment to helping underprivileged children in that country. The 10 year old is recorded to have organised donation drives and fundraising events to provide educational books and other materials to more than 2000 underprivileged children.
Also, among the recipients is Chiamaka Osueke, a 25 year old whose focus is to impact girl’s education in Nigeria. Through her foundation, the Jully Foundation, Chiamaka has provided menstrual hygiene management training to girls especially, in secondary schools. She has trained more that 9000 girls in four states of the country, attracting another recognition from the Lagos State Government.
As shown by the examples listed, young people in various parts of the world have been carving a niche for themselves by engaging in activities that add value to their environment. All those who have stood out demonstrate a number of attributes key among which is passion. They are usually very passionate about what they do. Such young people discover what they have flair for and go for it notwithstanding any inhibitions, distractions or disappointment.
The other attribute common among young change makers is curiosity. Children and young persons are naturally very curious. It is not just that they ask many questions but must receive satisfactory answer or they would not let go. This curiosity drives learning and growth while fuelling imagination and the development of critical thinking. Another important trait is creativity, that ability to form novel and valuable ideas whether tangible, physical or intangible. It is creativity that gives the individual the edge, adding meaning, purpose and richness to life. The creative processes information more efficiently. As pointed out by American psychologist, Joy Paul Guilford, creativity is about unusualness, innovativeness and uniqueness of solutions.
Change makers also exhibit resilience, dedication and optimism. Resilience is about the ability to withstand difficulties, to bounce back from set backs, to show staying power when the going gets tough. Psychologists define resilience as the ability to successfully adapt to stressors, maintaining psychological well-being in the face of adversity. Of course, resilience demands commitment which could be another word for dedication. Change drivers are incurable optimists. They are very hopeful and have confidence in the ultimate positive outcome or success.
As we reflect on the rebirth or renaissance of Arochukwu, it is crucial that all Aro, old or young must make contributions towards achieving the Aro of our dreams. We must address our minds to what can we do to make Aro better. Indeed, a lot is expected from the young persons in our midst. It is true that some of the young persons have difficult upbringing. But, as seen by some of the stories of successful persons, hardship at times, forms the building blocks of an impactful life. It triggers positive thinking and creativity that unleashes exciting outcomes. Beyond that, it can be argued that many parents of Aro descent value education and go the extra mile to ensure their children obtain good education. As a matter of fact, we have a better educated young persons these days compared to what the older generation had.
How many parents attended kindergarten school? It is not strange these days to find young people who are already well – rounded university graduates at age 19, 20 or 21. The present crop of Aro youths are arguably better equipped to navigate the challenges of the current world. It is therefore, expected that our youths would do more to impact their immediate environment.
There are many things the youth can focus on to make the Aro society better. The starting point may be to make a conscious personal decision to be positive about life and to resolve to impact Aro in any positive way possible. The challenges facing the Aro villages are enormous. We still have many who are not literate to function properly in society. Our road and public places are often overgrown providing cover for criminals. Our markets can do with better organisation and sanitation. Drug abuse is ravaging the society while cultism has ruined many young people. Many of our young persons wear poor etiquette and disrespect as barges of (dis)honour. We have an epidemic of teenage pregnancies, the result of moral decadence, just to mention some of the challenges.
Our youths, as individuals or groups, can decide to organise extra mural classes to help less equipped children or adult education classes for the adults. They may even have mentorship groups in the primary and secondary schools. These would go a long way in improving the performances of our pupils and students while enhancing the literacy of the community.
In the not too distant past, youths constituted the executive or implementation wings of most villages. They would be seen maintaining rural roads, cutting shrubs along the roads, enforcing decisions for common good. This is not common these days. It is unfortunate, in fact, alarming that young persons in Aro these days cannot lift a finger to carry out any public responsibility without asking for financial benefit. What stops youths from Aro villages taking turns to keep the premises of Arochukwu general hospital clean, for instance?
If the rebirth we look forward to must progress in the right direction, our youths must show a higher sense of responsibility. They should cultivate and demonstrate love and patriotism by volunteering to serve the Kingdom without counting cost. They are the future of the ancient town. The undergraduates or graduates among them can organise to give extra mural classes to those in examination classes in secondary schools or even adult education classes to improve literacy levels in Aro. In this era of Information Communication Technology (ICT), what about organising ICT bootcamps for students? One of the negative behaviours that has gained ground in Aro is cultism and use of illicit drugs. Youths can embark on enlightenment campaigns against these vices. Many youths sadly indulge in these destructive habits and get damaged before they fully appreciate the harm they are bringing upon themselves and society. What of the dangers of teenage pregnancy?
With the challenging economic situation in the country many may ask where the funding would come from. Funding is important but not the most important. The most critical element in making the desired impact is the mind. It is the idea and how to grow it. It is about one’s vision and mission. Many people walk about without taking in their environment. Such persons are blind to happenings around them. Unless one is perceptive and concerned, it is difficult to impact your environment. Funding always follow good ideas and good programmes.
For our young ones, the first place to start is to develop a sense of public good. Aro renaissance would demand from the Aro youth responsible behaviour, good work ethics and strong orientation to humanity and service. Once there is passion, resilience, dedication and creativity pet ideas would blossom. The best future is the one we help to create.
Mazi Anicho Okoro, Ugwu Aro, is the 1 st Vice President General of Nzuko Aro
