The Africa I Want

Allow me to contextualise the statement to “the Africa I want” – it is statement of vast dreams, ideas, answers and hopes.

I analysed the title and my spirit was unsure of how to complete it. As I began to type my answers, they felt nothing but dreams, but dreams are for free. So let me take time to walk past these ancient cities of treasures and remind the young African path-finders of the hope that awaits us beyond the savannah.

As an African woman, I say:

I want to see my continent at a total freedom of economic colonialism from first world countries. I want Africa to become a global hub of manufacturing and exporting finished products while cutting down on imports.

I want to see my continent uniting and creating a United States of Africa through the creation of a benchmarked education system that enhances creativity, knowledge and innovation for a young African child.

I want to be part of a movement that uplifts through the creation and strengthening the vocational training across the continent. This will enhance our God-given talent of hand craft and creativity, setting up global trendsetters and economic disruptors. Not only are we training our youth to became entrepreneurs, job givers and economic uplifters, but phasing out the old and creating economic policies that enable the easy flow of setting up business and acquiring start-up capital.

I want a continent that invests in its own products and creates a market for it. The investment may range from communal farmers raising a herd of cattle to a single-woman garden producing fruits and vegetables for a local supermarket.

I want to see a continent that places labels and price tags on their natural handmade crafts, processed oil, diamonds and art.

I want to be part of a continent that funds science research in traditional crops and other ideas in order to solve malnutrition, illness, climate change and drought.

Blessed with 350 days of sunshine, the largest rivers and greatest waterfalls, Africa must invest in renewable energy in order to fuel her growth without disrupting the flora and fauna that beautify her.

I want to be part of a continent that reinvests in the environment by planting more trees and cutting less as advocated by my founding father, Sam Nujoma. A nation of men and women who take time to sort household waste through recycling and reusing products in order to save our environment for a better tomorrow.

Oh yes, I want to be part of a new dawn that sees the end of conflicts, easy transfer of power in African governance and a continent free of corruption. A continent run on Ubuntu Wabantu, real patriotism and Harambee – let’s pull together and rise up.

Yes, dreams are for free and they don’t cost a thing, so I put out my ideas today on where I want to see my continent in the future. This is all I want to see, an African continent tapping into its natural resources and utilising them for the benefit of its people and the environment.

Therefore I will conclude with a chant, repeated by my former African leaders: “African problems need to be solved by Africans”.

Ndahekelekwa Naambo Niikondo is a fourth-year medical laboratory science student at the

Namibia University of Science and Technology.

She is a lover of Jesus, good food and books.

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