20. FERUZ BARKEDA AMAN

The life we know today was made possible by two things; one is our mineral resources and the other is by what man was able to make out of it. It is truly incredible what we - humans are able to achieve if we put our minds to it. By using our natural resources, as well as our creativity, the human race has made cars, computers, infrastructue and so much more. This is truly groundbreaking.

However, unfortunately, although many of these creations were made by making use of Africa's abundant mineral resource supply, the creations themselves were not made by Africans. For several years, slavery and colonization had hindered Africans from believing they were capable of great innovations. However, today, things have changed. We - Africans are empowered more than ever before. We have educational opportunities, and a chance to let our ideas and voices be heard. And as we - the youth are the main working force in Africa, it is up to us to take an active role in the development of our continent. One way we can do that is to ensure the proper utilization of our rich mineral resource. There are several ways in which we can do that.

Firstly, the most important thing the African youth has to do is to come up with different ways to conserve our mineral resources. This is quite essential because currently the rate at which new minerals are being made is infinitelly slower than the rate at which we are consuming it.

Therefore, we should make use of methods such as recycling, alternative renewable substitutes, improved technologies, and community awareness to properly utilize our resources. After all, for us to be able to make use of minerals in innovative ways, they have to first be conserved.

Secondly, the other important way the African youth can harness the natural resources is by


actively participating in the manufacturing sector. Normally, most African countries have a detrimental tradition of importing manufactured goods, while producing little to no products locally. Recently, although we have a very long way to go, this seems to be improving. Locally made products are beginning to emerge more than ever before.

The other way that the youth can make a difference in the mineral resource sector as in any other sector is by taking an active leadership role. The youth has to ensure that it does not remain on the sidelines when it comes to important decision making. As the majority of the workforce is dominated by the youth, it cannot afford to be a bystander. We - the youth have to ensure that not only our voices are heard, but also that we actually take an active role in the policy making process.

The final and the most crucial way that we can harness our mineral resources as African youths is by changing the perception of our community. In the African society, there is a culture of celebrating Western products while belittling our own produce. People think that simply because a certain product was imported it is of high quality, while assuming that locally produced products are of lower quality. People prefer spending more money on foreign products, while refusing to purchase locally produced goods for lower prices. This is what keeps us from developing as a nation. This mindset is not only detrimental for the economy, but it also discourages innovational people from coming up with great new products.

Fortunately, there are ways in which we can change this mindset. Firstly, the youth can actively work on educating and informing the public about the importance of utilizing our own locally produced products. Secondly, the youth can be involved in the making of policy changes that ensure that less products are imported. Thirdly, we can all work towards ensuring that we produce quality material from our mineral resources.

Finally, we - the African youth should always believe in ourselves and realize that the future of Africa is in our very hands! We shall prosper!

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