By LOUREEN ALMA
Youth empowerment
The empowerment that exists with seats filled by grandpa’s, uncles, cousins and friends of friends
Opportunities allocated with the biaseness of secret handshakes
While we the owners of these titles stand outside
Clutching certificates stamped with the real seal
That weigh less than it’s true meaning and purpose
.
Kazi mtaani came with a genuine mind of empowerment
To give us a right of our own ages
With the chiefs selecting their family members as supervisors
And the rest of us as the ‘ideal’ low class workers
Lakini reality ni sisi ndio real leadership ilitufuata juu hatukuwa the chief’s spoilt brat growing up
.
Sisi hatutaki handouts
Tunataka fairness
Juu university nimegraduate na first class honours
But juu nimegrow kwa ghetto and had to join through harambee ya community mchango
My knowledge feels less
I want a just system
That’s says “huyu kijana anaweza”
And not “huyu kijana hana connections”
.
Education is the key to knowledge
Certificate ikiwa ticket ya maisha
Lakini reality ni kama ndoto ya mzae akiwa kijana
Mbona tunabeba makaratasi zimejaa dust
Bila value kwa market
Tukiwa ma medals recognised only within the institution
Ukiwa student only
Juu pages zao ni heavy with ink ambayo ni dust tu
.
We are today’s leadership from the revolt created on June 25th
Tukisema ‘we are a unbreakable generation’
Pesa ikaingia kati yetu
Leadership ikawa kama club ya private members
Entry by invitation only
Wenzetu wakasahaulika
Damu zao zukaoshwa na bulldozer ya maji ya red ikitufuata kwa road
Just to scatter the real goal
.
Youth representative ako na miaka 69
Akisema ako na experience ya kuwa youth before
Yet this allocation is not meant for experience
But for the name “YOUTH”
And the way this business is going
Marina yetu hayatakuwa kwa system
Juu system ni for connections na sio competency
It’s for nepotism, not nation building
.
Opportunities are announced in speeches
But erased in practice
Wanafear change kama the 10 pleagues
Doors meant for youth empowerment
To allow the bright minds to bring new ideas into balanced growth
Lakini sasa they are guarded by surnames
That rhymes with power
The likes of ‘who is your father’
.
Hear us out
Youths are not beggars of chance but a revolting thunder
Builders of destiny at the present
Not lines in policy papers but a present
Tires of waiting for tomorrow
With voices that will not be footnotes
Because our voices
Are the certificate you cannot invalidate
And our courage as the weapon of bravery
.
So we rise
Not as tomorrow’s promise but as today’s reckoning
Juu system bila sisi ni skeleton tu
And because we are the present na hatutangoja kuamka kesho.
Changing the mindset
