17 Years old - 1st Prize- TIG Sierra Leone Essay Contest-
Question: Do you think the MDGs will be achieved and what will be the role of youths in their achievement?
I hereby write to explain how the Millennium Development Goals can be achieved and the role of the youths in their achievement.
For any community to be developed its’ food security has to be taken into consideration. As such, I am admonishing all governments, particularly of developing countries and some international organizations – like for instance the United Nations agencies and the World Bank – to invest more capital on well mechanized farming activities. Also I suggest that the government should resolve all the land tenure systems that allow the land fragmentation amongst individuals who do not have the means to invest on those lands. With this therefore I believe that those lands would be made available to those with capital and mechanical knowledge to invest and produce more food for the growing population. In relation to the above points, I believe that the youths are very instrumental in this achievement as they have more energy and mechanical knowledge to ensure their completion. Youths should be therefore encouraged to participate in more agricultural activities to achieve food security as it is one of the ways in achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
Another point worth noting for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals is the health of the growing population, as we all know the saying that “health is wealth.” The uncleanliness of most of the environment in the world in general, and in Africa in particular, is greatly responsible for diseases like malaria and diarrhea which are very dangerous to the health of the growing population today. To prevent these hazardous diseases each government must provide more machines and other basic facilities necessary to employ the services of the youth in the sanitation department. With this I believe that the cleaning of garbage around the cities and towns would be effective and it would in turn provide good health to all human beings.
Another things which is so important to be achieved in order to ensure the achievement of the Millennium Development goals is “education for all.” One of the ways I believe this can be achieved, especially in developing countries, is for the government to produce more schools, colleges and universities. And also the other way I believe this can be attained is for the government to reduce the cost of education. This would therefore ensure that the least under-privileged citizens would be educated. As future leaders, the role of the youths is highly needed into achieving this education for all. As such, I am admonishing the youths, especially those dropouts who now involve in jobs like armed-robbery, taking drugs such as cocaine and jamba, stealing, etc, to take it as a point of duty. They have to abandon these bad things and put more attention to education because it is the key to success.
One of the reasons responsible for conditions in which most of the people in the developing countries, especially Africa, is the high unemployment rate. There is also a poor condition of service for even those who are employed. To solve these problems, my own suggestion is for all governments to find projects through the assistance of the World Bank and World Trade Organization that would encourage the establishment of many industries. With this, there would be more employment for the growing population – especially for those jobless youths who are roaming the streets of the cities and towns of the developing nations.
Finally, combating HIV/AIDS is one of the main aims in achieving the Millennium Development Goals. In order to achieve this aim, the cooperation of the youths is highly needed. Especially those female youths who have taken into prostitution as their profession. This I believe is the major factor responsible for the spreading of the HIV/AIDS virus in, particularly, developing countries. In relation to solving this problem, government are therefore supposed to create more lucrative jobs and employ the service of these female youths so as to discourage them from this particular profession.
I believe that the points highlighted would be your main priorities for your aims and objectives about the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
In summary, YES, they can be achieved, through the following ways:
• For the youths to involve themselves more in agricultural activities like farming
• By keeping their environment clean
• To put more attention to education
• To abandon commercial sex (prostitution) as a profession
• To stop crime and find better jobs to do.
Thank you!
Christopher James
#19 Charles Street
Freetown, Sierra Leone
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