Over the years through many discussions and from experience with my family, friends and collogue regarding the plight of Africa I came to realize we as Africans have very low expectations, the bar for most African people and societies are usually set very low. Starting out in life with low expectations will eventually lead to low achievements.
At this stage of Africa’s developmental which is now about 45-55 years since independence, Africa is therefore a matured adult with kids to raise, our grandparents had great expectations, they expected to achieve independence and that they did. Our parents had low expectations, they expected to enjoy and perhaps develop their newly found independent, and that they fell short off archiving.
Our generation as of yet have not decided on what its expectation should be, this is the generation on the verge of finding its self at the control helm, we are about and in some cases have become the captain of modern day Africa ,by no choice of ours, we will have to be in charge, we will have to set the agenda, and finally we will have to set the expectations for the short and long term future of Africa, ultimately this generation will have to deliver or fail to deliver in their expectations.
Just like the alpha female who leads the wolf pack to the next feeding grounds so will this alpha generation (I.e. generation in charge) have to lead motherland Africa to the next 20 or 30 years into the future. Will genaration alpha have low expectations which will eventually yield low achievements or will this generation have great expectations which will eventually yield great or greater achievements?
Most in generation alpha are usually very busy, their daily schedules are fully booked, they barely have enough time for themselves, and their usual day to day survival activities are overwhelming. Faced with such busy schedules, this generation does not have the luxury of time to make future expectations for the short and long term future of motherland Africa.
As I tried to explain earlier this is a role the alpha generation has to assume through no choice of theirs, such a role they assumed as a result of the natural default of the cycle of life. Our grand parents have died; our parents are dying or about to dye. Hence this generation is about to wake up to the reality of the new role nature has imposed upon them, as of yet all in this generation are coasting through life. The setting of expectations is not a priority, at the moment most will like to believe there is plenty of time to do just that in the future.
Well, there might be lots of time, our parents had a similar attitude, but the reality on the ground of today’s Africa is the result of such attitudes. Certainly I would hope this generation does not want to follow into their foot steps.
My challenge to modern day intellectual Gambians is to aspire for Senegambia federation and to the greater intellectual African is to set the great expectation of africation as our purpose and legacy within our lifetime. [ Africation is the formation process of a unified Africa.]
History have shown those socities able to implement paradime shifts within them did so through movements lead by their intellectual elites. Case and point
Soviate union had pariostroicker and glass nossto movement which in turn usher in democracy , Poland had solidarity movement to usher in capitalism and democracy, china had the great march movement resulting to one china.
I propose africation as the ideal expectation for this generation, it is attainable, practical and of course it is the ultimate expectation.
Until when generation alpha breaks away from the culture of low expectation and begin to have great expectations, then and only then will this Africa antelope begin its great leap forward , to participate and shape their future, that of their children and those yet unborn.
BY DR SAMUEL B ARTLEY . DMD. FAGD.