Setting Realistic Goals

IT IS THAT time of the year when we ask what we achieved last year.

Some are rejoicing in goals set and successfully attained. However, others constantly struggle to achieve the bare minimum of what they have planned year in and year out.

Whether your intention was to start a business, get a stable job, leave the country to chase your dreams, learn a new language or simply pursue a course that would land you a dream job in the future, it all comes back to the kind of goals you have set.

Ask yourself honestly: Are my goals realistic or am I still living under the weight of unrealistic expectations?

Many people are quick to find excuses, sometimes even blaming witchcraft, instead of making genuine efforts to pursue their dreams. In a world full of challenges, it is crucial to pause, reflect and set realistic goals that match your current situation and potential.

Remember, the path to success is rarely smooth. It often involves financial struggles, rejection, broken relationships, sacrifice and discomfort. These are not signs of failure; they are stepping stones preparing you for greater things ahead.

Challenges are uncomfortable; however, to reach success, understand that they must be realistic. For instance, starting a business requires capital, so you might need to surrender your favourite restaurant meals, holiday rides, sell your iPhone, or give up on the dream of buying a N$7 000 wig to fund your vision.

Attitude also plays an important role in setting and achieving goals. Although asking for a helping hand may be needed, the sense of entitlement should be condensed to avoid disappointment by expecting favours and help every time you need it. Instead, stay humble, determined, and, above all, maintain a positive attitude. Do not expect great results when you’re investing minimal effort.

Success is not reserved for a select few.

Dreams are attainable when guided by realistic goals and consistent effort.

Success begins when you look at your situation with honesty, face reality, and take deliberate action toward improvement.

As you plan your year, set clear and achievable goals, start early, take baby steps and celebrate every bit of progress along the way.

With discipline, patience and faith, you will soon look back and be proud of how far you’ve come.

• Beata Vaino

2)      Free Tuition Not the Total Solution

NAMIBIA’S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE remains one of the highest in the region, with recent national data placing overall unemployment at 36.9%.

When discouraged and under-employed workers are included, that number rises to around 54.8%, while youth unemployment alone stands at approximately 44.4% — a clear warning sign for the nation’s future.

The government’s plan to remove tuition and registration fees for undergraduate students is a positive step that removes a major barrier for young Namibians dreaming of earning degrees. However, we must recognise that this decision solves only one part of a much larger challenge.

Many unemployed young people are not in education, employment, or training. These individuals will not benefit from free tuition because they are not inside the university system.

At the same time, our economy does not create enough opportunities beyond formal degrees. Innovation, entrepreneurship, trades, arts, and the informal creative economy remain under-invested. A real solution to unemployment must be non-linear, requiring diversified funding and support for technical skills, creative industries, and innovation hubs.

Free tuition alone cannot guarantee employment if job creation does not expand alongside it.

As we close the year, a growing imbalance is evident. While some university students will receive debt-free access to education, young people applying for start-up support through the National Youth Development Fund often receive loans with 2% interest.

Only a small minority is funded freely, while the majority — especially the innovators and entrepreneurs — must take on debt before they even begin building their futures.

Ironically, these are the same young people who can create jobs and transform our economy. They should not be put at a disadvantage.

Let free university tuition be the beginning of the conversation rather than the end. Namibia must invest in all youth potential, not only those following traditional academic paths.

If we truly want to reduce unemployment, we must support every young person ready to build, create, and contribute to this country’s future.

• Kristof Angolo

3)      United States: Messiah or Foe?

IN THEOLOGY, THE word ‘salvation’ can be defined as the act of experiencing deliverance from sin and its consequences, thereby achieving a state of spiritual freedom and eternal life.

Surprisingly, the language of salvation has moved to centre stage in geopolitics.

Once again, great powers claim their role as the self-appointed protectors of democracy, stability, and humanitarian values. However, a contradictory reality continues to develop, raising concerns around nationalism, aid withdrawal, and the eroding of global society.

Recent United States (US) actions in Venezuela exemplify this dilemma. The events of 6 January marked the arrest of president Nicolás Maduro and his wife under absolute resolve expressed in US press statements.

The US has long described its approach to Venezuela as a matter of liberating the people from authoritarianism and humanitarian breakdown.

This covers up the recurring story of sanctioning Venezuela for years, seizing its assets, and isolating it diplomatically. These events point to what is described as ‘weaponised aid’ – assistance that forces one to comply.

This stance also has roots in a deeper tradition of ‘white saviourism’ in international relations, in which the moral imperatives of intervention are privileged while the agency of regional actors becomes insignificant.

Opposition forces and regional activism are all too often left on the sidelines in favour of external prescription.

This has been exacerbated by the crisis in international cooperation, doctored by the recent American abandonment or suspension of financial help to critical funding agencies.

The effects are practical: healthcare, food security, and migration programmes collapse, and solidarity agreements give way to ‘transactional’ alliances.

Against this backdrop, self-reliance becomes the only way for the Global South to maintain its sovereignty through regionalism and southern solidarity.

Rebuilding global solidarity requires returning to principles of collective accountability and equality among states.

As the Bible reminds us in Matthew 20:26–28, true authority is found not in domination, but in service.

Aid grounded in humility has the potential to empower societies and restore solidarity as moral practice rather than charitable performance.

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.