Malawi’s Minister for Youth and Sports Hon. Ulemu Msungama (MP), believes the African youth can succeed in any career path they choose by defining themselves, and knowing what they stand for.
“The problem with Africa is that we let others define us. You can bear me witness that a lot of people have ended up doing something not because they wanted to, but because their parents told them to do it,” he shared at the sidelines of the YouthConnekt Africa Summit 2021.
The YouthConnekt Africa Summit is an annual convening that connects youth from across the continent and beyond with policy influencers, political leaders, and public, private and development sector institutions to engage, discuss, design, and accelerate youth empowerment efforts at a continental level.
Every year, the YouthConnekt Africa Summit aims to address a variety of youth issues related to economic, social, and political empowerment of youth in Africa. This year’s summit will focus on “Positioning African Youth to cater for the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) Market.”
The politician asserted that one’s parent being in a particular profession does not mean the child must follow suit. “My dad being an accountant doesn’t qualify me to be an accountant too. I am not going to be an accountant simply because my dad was an accountant and not everyone can be an accountant. So defining yourself will help you achieve your ultimate goal.”
Hon. Ulemu Msungama (MP), who has never had any family member involved in politics shared, “I looked like a mad person when I started politics.”
Addressing the narrative of politics being dirty, the MP urged the youth to discard that notion. “The narrative of politics being dirty has been there for a while but I want to tell you something. Politics is not dirty but the people involved in politics can be dirty. In my country my president Lazarus Chakwera is a pastor and doesn’t believe politics is dirty and so am I who is born again.”
Reiterating his stance, he advised the youth to define themselves and see what they want to be whatever that is. “In simplicity I will say don’t be a pretender but define yourself.”
