Obama: Given a chance, children will change the world
Former US President Barack Obama has pleaded with leaders across the continent to create space for youngsters to grow.
Obama said it will be the voices of children who will determine the future.
The former statesman supported his sister, Auma Obama, in opening the Sauti Kuu Foundation Sports, Resource and Vocational Training Centre in Kenya on Monday.
The centre aims to equip youngsters with the necessary skills to ensure they become self-sufficient.
“I want to my community to start realising how wealthy they are, I want my community to start realising that they can actually do things for themselves, that they can help themselves and don’t have to consistently be in a situation where they are grateful to others for what they have,” Obama said in a passionate speech.
The American president is also on the continent to celebrate the 100th anniversary of former President Nelson Mandela’s birth this week.
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He is set to deliver the annual Nelson Mandela Lecture at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Tuesday .
Obama called on African leaders to cultivate youngsters and not to underestimate the change they can bring.
“If they are just given a small chance to express all that they feel, all they energy, imagination, talent that they represent. If they are given a platform, as this centre can give them, the young people of this area, the young people throughout Kenya, the young people throughout Africa – will learn that their voices can change the world. We have seen it before.”