As I reflect on the month of May that has just ended, one word keeps coming to mind: MINDPOWER
One of the most fascinating things about human beings is that God hid our thoughts from the rest of the world. The mind is a factory that never stops working. Ideas are formed there, dreams are built there, and decisions are made there. But unless thoughts are spoken or acted upon, nobody can truly see what is happening inside.
In the month of May, I encountered different situations that at first seemed unrelated. Yet the more I reflect on them, the more I realize they were all connected. They were all about our youth.
I met young people full of hope despite difficult circumstances. I met others who seemed frustrated, disengaged, and unwilling to learn. I heard of young people who walked away from educational opportunities that many would do anything to have. I listened to stories of parents pleading with their children to focus on acquiring skills that would help them build a future.
Then came the heartbreaking news of girls accused of planning and executing an act of arson. Girls!
Bright minds. Young minds. Fertile minds capable of learning, creating, innovating and leading.
And it left me wondering: who or what is shaping the minds of our young people?
We were not created to live as islands. We are influenced by people, environments, ideas and experiences. Like-minded people tend to attract one another. Positive influences build us. Negative influences pull us down. As the saying goes, misery loves company.
In May, I witnessed what I would call the good, the bad and the ugly.
- THE GOOD: was seeing young people facing enormous challenges (think Kakuma refugee camp) remaining hopeful because someone cares about them. A mentor. A parent. A teacher. A community.
- THE BAD: was seeing young people abandon opportunities to learn and grow, only to find themselves trapped in avoidable hardship.
- THE UGLY: was seeing how a mind that should be preparing for a future can instead be drawn toward destruction.
As I write this, I ask: how do we transform the mind?
For seventeen years, that has been part of our journey at eMentoring Africa. Our slogan, which has never changed, remains: TRANSFORMING MINDS. RESCUING A GENERATION.
The more I think about mind transformation, the more I realize that life is much like climbing a mountain. Nobody simply wakes up and summits the highest peak. Climbers spend months preparing. They seek experienced guides who know the terrain. People who understand the dangers ahead. People who know when to push forward and when to rest.
Life is no different. None of us was meant to walk it alone.
From childhood, we are guided by parents, caregivers, teachers, coaches, mentors and friends. At every stage, someone helps us navigate unfamiliar terrain. And my lesson from the month of May is simple.
We must return to the drawing board and intentionally invest in the minds of our young people. In a continent where nearly 60 percent of the population is youth, we cannot leave this responsibility to a few individuals.
We need more mentors. We need to equip those mentors. We need communities willing to walk alongside young people even when progress seems slow.
And if they do not listen the first time, we keep trying. Then we try again. And again.
Because transformation rarely happens in a single conversation. It happens through consistency, patience and presence. As eMentoring Africa prepares to celebrate 17 years this week, my appeal is simple:
Please join us.
Help us guide, mentor and walk with the next generation.
The future of Africa may very well depend on the minds we shape today. Follow me as I share more reflections and dreams we keep alive as an organization. Dreams that will come true if we hold hands. We owe it to ourselves and to generations to come.
Esther Muchiri CEO – eMentoring Africa