from Peceli
Young People Today?
Watching the youth running wild and burning shops and looting in East Timor in the TV last night, this poses a very good question to us as TV watchers. It happened twice in Fiji. Are we just watching the news and doing nothing or are we going to do something for our own youth in the community we live in?
In my book young people are the precious investments for the country as they grown to manhood. In the Rotary Club we are trying to help young people by providing them with scholarships for leadership. And also we help the street kids in Suva in the form of Donation in Kind.
Youths needs to be recognised and wanted, and there are people in Suva who are helping youth quietly and they makes a difference in the society.
We do worry about the youth of Fiji. Can you do something about them, rather than just be like spectators sitting on a fence, criticizing but not helping. We just watch the world go by. At times the subject is in the public attention and street kids are criticized. But it is more than just the youths who we notice in Suva’s streets. What are the hopes and what are the opportunities for the young people in the rural areas, the farms and the villages?
Help by taking notice.
Here are some stories of youths being giving opportunities. There are hundreds of stories like this. The potential is there in each person, but sometimes needs to be noticed.
Sevati Tuwere, a boy in Bagata village was noticed and given the chance for further education.
Romanu informally adopted an Indian boy in Suva, took him into his own household and through ups and downs now that lad is grown up, working, and has his own family.
Sikeli Tawake was a lad that Mr Northcott noticed was bright and the boy went on to study to be an engineer with Qantas.
Lead by example
Follow the leader
There’s an old saying in Fiji - ona muria ga nai qasiqasi ira qari. This means – the little crab follows the bigger crab, crawling sideways. The young crab only sees that as the way to go, walks sideways too.
In Fiji today, many of the adults seem to be going sideways, instead of straight ahead so no wonder the youth sometimes feel angry, don’t know where to go, how to live decently. When the parents do good things, the youth will see that and follow. Our youth in Fiji today, partly because of the Western style of education - think that American music, videos, sports, are the best and neglect their traditional vanua ties with the emphasis on respect.
There are also many youths with an unfortunate upbringing and we can’t blame them for bad behaviour. Street kids have many stories, some of neglect, and some just their own choice to be free of parents advice.
So what are you doing to take notice of the hundreds or thousands of young people in Fiji who need a sense of worth and hope and a job?
I like the analogy.
ReplyDeletePeople moving sideways will result in the younger generation leaning towards the same direction.
In Chinese, we have a similar saying.. if the top pillar is not straight, the lower pillar will also be follow the same way too.
Indonesia is indeed in trouble, both ways.
The age-old problem persists because the main population choose to mind their own business. I just came from an argument with a friend on environmental issues - to do our little part or not, and I was quite saddened by the mass attitude that little effort will not make too much a change.
ReplyDeleteI remember Low once told me the analogy of little people - "there are many little people out there doing their little effort to make this world better. With many little people, we hope that things would change."
And I am very glad to find that we are not alone. Hope to make a difference. Hope to make a good change.
I thank you again for your post. If you don't mind, I hope to recommend your blog to my friends. Thanks.
Thank you for your interest in our postings. Sometimes they may seem obscure as Fiji is a long way from most countries. I guess the situation of youth is similar in lots of countries and I am so disappointed that the young men in East Timor so easily turn destructive. Why are they so angry?
ReplyDeleteW.
There is also another anology of keeping crabs in a basket.
ReplyDeleteWhen placing crab in a basket in is not necesssary to place a lid on it, to keep the crabs in.
If one crab attempts to crawl out of the basket, then the others will cling/hold to the escaping crab to prevent the escape.
A kind of communual prison.
That's a good one Laminar. It was Peceli's analogy about the crabs walking sideways, but I like your point as well. It can be taken so many ways. A conservative culture keeps one 'safe' from anything new! A culture of 'kerekere' stops the person who would like to be an entrepreneur because someone will just ask for everything he or she gets!
ReplyDeleteFortunately there are individuals who do escape bondage and speak up and think for themselves.
W.
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ReplyDelete