Our Youth is Our Hope for the Future

by Joseph M. Kyalangilwa, President of the Civil Society of the South Kivu Region/Africa

Since the year 2000 Joseph Kyalangilwa and his wife have been living in Switzerland for health reasons. They have taken advantage of this situation to meet with children and young people in nursery schools, primary schools, high schools, vocational schools and different universities. In the course of their discussions they realized how little young people know about the history and geography of their vast continent since European teachers tend to treat African history and affairs rather superficially. However, the children and adolescents they talked to were very interested in getting to know something about everyday life in Africa, about family life, schooling, children's games, wildlife and nature.

At the beginning of our discussions the pupils are somehow embarrassed and hardly dare ask the questions they are interested in. Among the older children these are, for instance, questions about sexuality, engagement, marriage, and also about immigrants in their own countries. As soon as we succeed, however, in winning their confidence and as soon as they realize that we answer all their questions and that there aren't any inappropriate or forbidden questions, a very lively question and answer game starts.

In vocational and high schools we frequently meet pupils who are glad to obtain bibliographic advice for their written work. We are able to provide them with important information about tropical diseases, AIDS and HIV in Africa and the Great Lakes region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Repeatedly, university students contact us in order to get hold of detailed information about history, geography, the war of aggression against the Democratic Republic of Congo and about its neighbouring states Burundi and Rwanda for their seminar papers and diploma work. Due to these contacts with pupils, students, and in addition with representatives of firms and associations, we repeatedly realize how badly people are informed about the situation in Africa and particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Thus we must state that the western media did not inform people about the difficult situation in Congo between October 1966 and June 2003 in the way in which they should have done. We ourselves witnessed this since we frequently journeyed to Europe during that period.

We took part in discussions in Switzerland, but also in Germany and Austria, where we held discussions in senior high schools, grammar schools and universities. We even participated in special meetings with African students in which we could assist them with our advice. Often these discussions were about the fact that the African countries urgently need qualified people. Why is this such an important topic? Because it is almost unbearable for us to see how many young Africans waste their time in Europe. They might finish their studies but then they job around in areas in which they do not have any opportunity to gain experience which might be useful for them when they return home. Others just waste their time by doubling or tripling the time of their studies at university. But there are also fortunately those who are aware of the tasks they face, who work hard to finish their degrees and then, as soon as they have obtained their diploma, voluntarily return to their home countries and help with the rebuilding process.