Why being a child of Africa is the greatest privilege I know

By Elsabe van Vuuren

Around the world there is a sentiment of feeling sorry for Africa and her children. In Vienna, Prague, Frankfurt and London I often came across big containers for dumping donations on the street. And each time the container featured a sorry looking picture of African children, their eyes hollow and numb. It is as though being born in Africa is a curse they have to bear. This is far from the truth. Although my heart reaches out continuously to the children of our beloved continent, I have never felt sorry that someone should be born here.

Recently I read that a girl-child born in Norway can expect to live an average of 83 years and finish university without spending a cent on education. A girl-child born in Zambia today can expect to live 32 years on average. She will have to spend about $6 000 in order to attain a university diploma. From these comparative statistics one could argue that being destined to be a child with two African parents is bad luck. Your prospects are far better if you are a Norwegian citizen. I disagree.

On behalf of and in honour of African youth, I offer a few reasons why a being a child of Africa is the greatest privilege I know:

We have space to dream: I grew up surrounded by a lot of social challenges and problems. I have witnessed poor health, low quality education, extreme poverty and many other issues. But for as long as I can remember, there has always been space to dream. Africa challenges your thinking and invites you to innovate, plan and find solutions. I have found that, in Africa particularly, the inspiration and the permission to dream is huge!

We have dreams to live: All through high school and now at university I continue to discover how many of my dreams I am able to live out on a daily basis. I find that my peers are open and willing to participate. We are eager and ready to live the dreams we foster in our hearts. More significantly, there is always room to do so. Loyal friendships and community networks serve to empower my dreams. My dreams are turned into reality on a daily basis.

There is constant change and evident results: I don’t think there are many places left in the world where you will get to witness the immense progress being made on our continent. I love being a witness to the transformation of communities. I am really amazed by the strides we have made in the education, health and development fields within one generation.

I believe in Africa. She has taught and allowed me to have faith in, deposit and live my dreams here.

Elsabe van Vuuren is a young advocate for change in Namibia, currently focusing on children’s rights and working to improve the lives of orphans and vulnerable children. She is 20 years old and is studying international law at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.