By Akol Arop Akol
When people talk about resources, there are those who rush their attention to oil, gold and agricultural fertile land as the main wealth of the country and they also feel those resources are being controlled and misused by government, perhaps that’s why they are poor. They also attribute the same scenario to the reason why there are no job opportunities for them to learn and work to earn a living.
This is why many young people have considered themselves as poor. I always personally say that I am not poor but just only that I didn’t transfer my skills and talents into market to generate money or any other material wealth.
Another explanation of denying poverty, is that everyone is rich but the failure of recognizing strengths and to maintain hopes for the future is the worst Poverty.
When one doesn’t have skills, academic knowledge, hopes, confidence and spirit of hard work, that’s the advanced level of Poverty. If you are lucky to have gone to school, be contented that knowledge itself is wealth.
I simply believe that having no money is being just broke, and lacking materials is described as insufficiency, not necessary to be called poverty.
The misconception of young people who measure their living standards by comparing themselves as people in poverty to those who have plenty money and tangible assets is preventing them from succeeding. They have to make to realize their strengths in the areas of talents, education, agriculture and community leadership. With fresh minds that turn imaginations into realities and body-energy, they can be able to accelerate economic and social development of South Sudan. They just need enlightenment such that they bring out the hidden Abilities. They are resources themselves.
He went further to ask some few students whether they had taken breakfast or not, two said they took but one student was courageous to say frankly that he didn’t take anything. The fact was that 90% of the students in the Hall didn’t have break and I was included. Where in South Sudan do people eat early in the morning before attending lectures at 8 AM? Apart from being too early to take breakfast, it is true that the country is being affected by economic crisis, so people could only have lunch and super if possible but some even go for days hungry. I wonder why the lecture was asking silly questions such as “why do sleep hungry, come to class without having breakfast and why poor when your country is rich with natural resources?” yet he knows what the problems are in South Sudan. In fact he knows but he wanted to wake up the sleeping young people from laziness and poverty and try to use the resources around to feed themselves. He also said, when you have resources no one can be like you because you can eat, dress well and also life joyful life.
Resources are vital in human lives. The wars being fought are rooted in poverty and unequal utilization and distribution of natural resources. So, for citizens to be equally successful, they should be given access to quality education, additional vocational skills and resources in order to change their livelihood.
Agriculture, infrastructure, and technology can develop and advance only when the young people are supported to use their talents, skills and any physical strength to build the country. The concept of poverty must be erased out of the minds and made to think like rich as well as believing that they are resources themselves. Even if there are natural Resources but no educated, empowered and hardworking young people, no one will make use of them to develop their country. Therefore, raise, protect, educate and empower the young people, for they are greatest resources for South Sudan.
This Motivational Writer is advocating for Peace, Youth Empowerment and education. Reach him via email: akolarop211@gmail.com