My love affair with Ghana’s youth - A new generation capable of extraordinary feats

Of all the things that form youthfulness, dreams are possibly the most important of them all.

As a noted Korean industrialist put it, “People with dreams know no poverty, for a person is as rich as his or her dreams.

Youth is the time of life when, even if you do not own a thing, you have nothing to envy if you have a dream.”

Many of the happiest days in my life are when I'm with young people.

 They are flexible and open-minded.

Not stuck in archaic parochial ways, they are curious, risk-takers, expectant, eager, bold and authentic. 

Nothing comes better alloyed than combinations of such traits.

Their dreams know no boundaries.

My task as a teacher, then, is to nudge them on to identify a dream, a good dream, and make it happen in benevolent doses.

Frankly, that's what success means to me.

On that note, this is to wish readers a blessed new year!

Ashesi University

Again, some of the most productively inspiring periods in my life occur when I'm with young people.

Their dreams know no boundaries. 

Back in the day, teaching leadership seminars at Ashesi University, I made it a point to help every student in each cohort create an imaginary window in which they could see something useful that no one else could see, and then identify that as their vision. 

Next, their mission was to identify the steps to be taken by them to make those dreams happen.

Frankly, that's what success means to me: aiding the youth to take the initial bold steps on the journey for self-fulfilment and self-actualisation.

Dreams inspire young people to be greater than their meagre flesh and blood selves.

What the American poet Robert Frost crowned as “The road less travelled.”

Great persons tend to see in their minds’ eyes what no one else sees, evidenced by things not seen commonly.

Accra College of Medicine

It seemed like only yesterday when I got a call from Professor Adukwei Hesse, a cardiologist specialist, to consider teaching a course in Creative and Critical Thinking at the newly established Accra College of Medicine (ACM), located at Adjirigano, Accra.

Critical thinking was a course I enjoyed teaching when I served as the coordinator of the GATE programme (Gifted and Talented Education) at a school within the Los Angeles Unified School District. 

I knew Professor Adukwei Hesse earlier through my wife, who had attended Achimota School with him.

 The meeting with the spouse, Professor Afua Hesse, was a joyful occasion, considering that I had attended Mfantsipim School, and she was a Wesley Girls alumna, both schools founded by the Methodist Church in Cape Coast, Ghana.

Looking back about seven years ago at ACM, our first cohort of students was 14 at the time: seven in Level 100 and seven in 200.

This time around, in December 2023, at the Accra International Conference Centre, the Ghana Medical and Dental Council welcomed over 300 new medical doctors into their esteemed ranks.

 Notably, 17 of these individuals hailed from ACM, a proud reminder of the journey we embarked on when I had the privilege of teaching them in their first year.

Witnessing their induction was a testimony to the growth and impact of dedicated education in shaping the future of healthcare in Ghana.

Ghana excels in Indonesia

In that very same month - December 2023 - the vibrant spirit of Ghana echoed across the international stage as a delegation, led by yours truly, ventured out to Bali, Indonesia.

With a robust group of 70 individuals, including over 60 ambitious students, this journey became a testament to the boundless dreams and potential within the hearts of young Ghanaians.

Against the picturesque backdrop of the breezy island of Bali, the youngsters showcased their talents on a global stage.

 The competitions became a canvas where Ghanaian boys and girls excelled, collecting gold, silver and bronze awards - either standing individually on their own two feet or harmonising with peers from different corners of the world.

The various competitions included: one, Vanda Science International Competition; two, Design Thinking with Robotics and Computational Thinking International Competition, Singapore; three, International Art Tournament; four, American Mathematics Olympiad (AMO) and/or Singapore and Asian Schools Math Olympiad (SASMO).

What unfolded exceeded expectations, as Ghana soared, having competed neck to neck with nations known for their prowess—Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, China, Russia, Malaysia, and Vietnam— in the arena of about 25 competing nations.

From the contest in Bali, Ghana carved a unique place among the very best globally.

The successes served as beacons of hope and a concrete promise for the future.

 The realisation that with the right guidance, Ghana’s youth can lead Africa to greater heights as imagined through the words of Ghana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah, spoken after 1957, that the nation’s potential lies within the youth, to think great thoughts and support those thoughts with great deeds.

The journey to Bali not only showcased the cognitive competence of these young minds but also their ability to collaborate and shine collectively.

 It affirmed that dreams nurtured and guided can transcend boundaries, fostering a generation capable of doing remarkable things.

The story of Ghana in Bali becomes an inspiration—a chapter where dreams met determination, and a nation proved that its youth can indeed lead Africa into a brighter future.

The journey continues, fueled by the belief that with the right guidance, dreams can become extraordinary realities for this beautiful country of ours.

E-mail: anishaffar@gmail.com