Growing up in an African household, my life path was mapped out for me even before I had a say in it. "That is how it has always been", I constantly heard those words repeated over and over. Like everyone around me, I had to follow this script. I worked hard through primary school, pushed through high school, aiming to get into a good university. But it did not stop there, I worked even harder at university with the hope of landing a good job, because I got into a good university. After ticking all the boxes on this list, it meant I have successfully completed the script. Doing anything outside the script would have been seen as Failure.

Now, in my final year of university and watching close friends and family members graduate, only to remain unemployed has left me questioning the very script I grew up following. In a world where even graduating from a good university no longer guarantees a job, isn’t it time we revisit the script and rewrite it to reflect today’s reality? We were taught to work hard to get hired but never taught how to hire. With that, many unemployed graduates end up sitting at home, simply waiting for an opportunity to be employed. Over time, days turn into months and months turn into years. Judgment from family begins to set in, followed by self-doubt, and the quiet fear of being a Failure. 

Being employed may have been the reality back then, but today things have changed. We cannot all rely on that path. Instead of teaching children to just work for someone else, why not teach them to be the employers? Change their mindset so that they are just as capable and worthy of occupying such spaces. This shift will only be possible if we actively support and invest in opportunities that nurture entrepreneurial thinking and empower youth to create their own future. With a growing pool of unemployed graduates, there is an urgent need to create space for new ideas and access to workshops.