Maj. Gen. Henry Masiko , the UPDF Joint Staff Political Commissariat has called on young people to change their mindset if they want to help build a prosperous Africa.
He explained that Africa is rich in resources and history, covering 11 million square miles and known as the birthplace of humanity and civilization. Despite this, the continent still faces many challenges.
Masiko told the youth that success can only be achieved by realizing their shared potential and focusing on wealth creation to fight poverty.
“As young Africans, you deserve wealth and prosperity but to achieve this mission, you need to unite, work together, value each other’s strength and weakness while using wealth creation mindset to tame poverty. To build a prosperous Africa, we need each other to achieve greatness through loving our country, neighbours, while leveraging Africa as our potential main market,” he added.
Masiko was addressing 200 young people attending a patriotism training course at the National Leadership Institute (NALI) in Kyankwanzi district.
As a Member of Parliament representing the UPDF, he also stressed the importance of ideological clarity and socio-economic transformation.
He encouraged the youth to know the truth about Africa’s past, including how slavery and colonization slowed its progress and allowed others to benefit from its resources.
“I want to remind you that when we remain ignorant about where we came from, we become vulnerable to manipulation and confusion but as a youth, it is crucial to seek truth, prioritize education, maintain discipline but most importantly, work hard to make informed decisions and calculations.”
He compared the need for education to the need for food, saying, “Just as our bodies need food to survive so as our mind need knowledge to thrive and education is essential for personal growth and development. For us we teach you to discern truth and deception because truth brings understanding and guides right actions.”
Masiko encouraged the youth to stay united and use Africa’s collective strength to achieve progress.
“The Bible teaches us that humans were given dominion over the earth with a mandate to multiply and this principle underscores the importance of wealth creation and responsible stewardship,” he said.
