by Fiona Ngarachu

Created on: September 07, 2008   Last Updated: September 17, 2009

Africa's Generation Next

When someone tries to conceptualize the image of a young college student anywhere in Africa, what sometimes comes to mind is group of alcohol swilling, pipe smoking youth. Academics is the last thing to come to mind, let alone commitment to community service. The youth, it seems have been stereotyped to be fun not work lovers but is this really a true representation of who they are?

For me this illustration of today's generation does not hold true. An example can be taken of a group of talented, energetic and highly motivated university students from United States International University Kenya. They represent what is fast becoming what I like to call Africa's Generation Next. Their motto seems to be party hard but work harder.' More importantly, they are committed to enriching the lives of the society as a whole.

This particular group are the originator of an event that has been held annually in USIU for the past five years. It is a concert that is celebrated on or near Valentines Day and is appropriately named the Valentine concert. A variety of musicians and dancers are invited to strum out their ballads and entertain the crowd. There is, however one feature that make this event and its organizers distinctive. The purpose of this show is not only to entertain. There is an auction that is held where young men and women are bought as Valentine dates. The proceeds then go to a particular charitable organization. It is amazing to see these students take the time effort and yes sometimes the money to selflessly contribute to the welfare of others.

But this sample of GN did not stop there. Inspired by the success of their 2006 valentine concert, they agreed to take their work to the next level and expand beyond their own university to include other educational institutions and societies within Kenya. They would hold a countrywide charity fund raising concert. This pet project would be in support of the Girl Child Network Sanitary Towel campaign. (A venture which aims to provide sanitary towels to the over 60,000 school going girls in Kenya who cannot access them and as a result loose up to 28 school days a year.) This new generation is evidently not shy to show their support of somewhat embarrassing topics!

Like the proverbial mustard seed, the project grew and was dubbed the "Red Robot Concert" after a popular South African sanitary towel advert. It became somewhat overwhelming but the group persevered. They tackled the almost insurmountable challenges of funding by securing two corporate sponsors. Their perseverance led to an outpouring of unexpected and unrequested contributions. Students from Egerton University, over 100 Kilometers away came powered by their own steam to make donations, expecting nothing in return. The rotary club of Muthaiga, Nairobi pledged to support the Girl Child Network in future.

Though their concert was not the success they hoped it would be the awareness they raised of the Sanitary Towel campaign was more then enough to compensate them for their efforts. Asked why they would go to all this trouble for nothing in return this remarkable group simply replied, "It needs to be done."

These simple acts are what clearly show that there is hope for Africa yet. The uncomplicated tradition of African hospitality and caring has not been completely lost. The African youth give proof to the saying that charity begins at home. Their talent, energy and dynamism needs to be harnessed and nurtured as it could lead to a renaissance that could well see the continent take its place as a leader in the twenty first century

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