AFRICA GROWING: AFRO-PESSIMISM A FORE-GONE RHETORIC... (2nd Piece - TopicsExpress

AFRICA GROWING: AFRO-PESSIMISM A FORE-GONE RHETORIC... (2nd Piece for the Blog) While in Thailand almost three weeks ago prior to the death of my beloved cousin, My mum asked me a rhetorical question. Paul: where do you want to spend your summer vacation of 2014, and I told her I would want to go on an African tour or go to Brazil for the world Cup... Mum: Paul your wish will be granted, send me an itinerary and I will see to it, you get to achieve both.... Paul: But Mum with the burden of educating my younger siblings, where will you get the finances to make my dream come true.... And This is where the Pep Talk and thought Started..... Afro-optimism versus Afro-pessimism is a misplaced debate. Africa has changed. The Nairobi of her child-hood where She began her professional career has changed dramatically. Evident in the real-estate booms and lengthening traffic jams. Million-dollar deals used to raise eyebrows, but now billion-dollar deals are becoming the norm. God Rest my brother’s soul in eternal Peace, Adrian Kabala at 21 already owned a water bottling franchise, a limousine service company and had a full-time job. When I one day challenged him to apply at University Penn, which would have been an easy pass to him, He laughed off my opinion, and told me He was happy in Kenya. He was an epic example of the Afro-entrepreneur at 21 he already had a home of his own, something that never crossed my mind at 21. As I grew up I realized regardless of social class, almost everyone acquired a cell-phone, or two or even three, even in remote villages. As urbanization kicks in, the air-conditioned supermarket and malls are fast replacing the convenience stores (Check the West gate Mall). Political democracy is evident in newspapers and blogs. My high school peers are even assuming political leadership. A new generation of leadership is emerging, with its own ideas on how to run governments. The international business community has taken note to the point where, today, the rate of return on foreign investment is higher in Africa than in any other developing region. (FACT NOT OPINION). The challenge now, is how these benefits will trickle down the masses that still exist that cannot afford a decent meal, and living below the Poverty line Threshold. The answer goes to governance. The leaders taking charge of Africas destiny need to be aware of the legacy with which they are contending: 50 years ago, when sub-Saharan Africa gained independence, the region was a net exporter of food; today, it is an importer. Being in charge of ones destiny is not enough to guarantee success. Once the new leaders take note of this, I believe that the next 50 years Africa will feel nothing like the past half-century. My peers opinion that I listen to are increasingly vocal about the end of aid dependence and the need for new development models which are more concerned with inclusiveness rather than profit. The rise of an indigenous, often brilliant, brand of social entrepreneurial-ism is increasingly providing local solutions to local problems. Consequently, instead of debating optimism versus pessimism, we should be debating how Africa can rewrite its future. This is something close to my heart. In the short few years that I watched my Dads legal and political career I witnessed at first-hand the trans-formative leadership, and felt the effects that can be achieved when public and private sectors work together. Borrowing a leaf from his ideas for the masses he represented, today I can conclusively say that am bubbling with ideas on Africa, and I believe am not the only one of my generation ready to fold the sleeve and work for the people. The difference between African development now and development in the past is that we are in the lead. Agricultural development is helping to restore productivity, bringing employment to thousands and helping to improve our environment. The new generation of leaders in government, business and civil society are making inroads towards establishing new models for responsible mineral development, vibrant new growth sectors such as financial services , Science and Technology and ICT, the infrastructure needed to help us to compete globally. There is still much work to be done, but transformation is well and truly under way. Who knows what Nairobi, and indeed the rest of Africa will look like in 50 years time? The new ideas of the young breed of African leaders need to be shared across the board. As a young trans-formative style of governance is taking root in far off places in the West and East of the Atlantic and the Pacific, it’s high time we all viewed Africa from a different Prism of Thought. Africa for starters is not overpopulated as the negative myth tries to establish, and it can agriculturally sustain itself. If not for the Structural Adjustment programs thanks to the Britten woods, a different stories would be told today. As we head into a Bright African future it’s imperative to my generation and the future generation to start viewing Africa as a partner in Growth, and not just a Source of Resources. There is more to Africa than Gold and Diamond; there is the people the leaders the talent and the entrepreneurs.