How many thousands of African youths’ thoughts am I writing? There are so many who spend sleepless nights writing out what they think. Their diaries carry the dreams they hope to accomplish. We live the sad reality of our parents’ dreams; dreams they couldn’t materialize because their parents forbid them. This is a pattern found not only in Africa but all around the world.
The system of attending college, graduating with excellent grades, and getting a great job to settle all your debts is just an illusion. Our systematic thinking forces us to believe good degrees and an amazing nine to five job will solve everything. Growing up in Liberia, I saw my siblings backtrack and give up on their passion. They had to forego what they felt happy doing to fulfill the dreams of our parents. I majored in environmental science and am currently pursuing a master’s degree in forestry, and not once have my parents ever asked me what it is I am passionate about.
Now, I get to ask myself, what is the dream I wish to accomplish? I love to write. For me, writing lets me express my own thoughts, which allows me to feel free. Right now, I am standing at a fork in this road called life. One path leads to living my father’s dream. The other follows the “hobby” I started in 2017 of blogging about environmental issues. (Yes, since blogging doesn’t pay the bills, to my father, it is just a “hobby.”)
Climate change, disease outbreaks, and cataclysmic earthquakes are our present-day nightmares. The cures for these nightmares will not come from age-old thinking. However, by exchanging ideas and personal stories about the environment and natural disasters, we can help create remedies for these tragedies. So, I decided to mix my passion with my profession and gave birth to the blog Concerns for Nature. It is a place I created to help increase the exchange of stories about nature. I’m also aiming to launch a Write Environment project that will center around high school students contributing to solving environmental issues in their communities. I believe that, just like me, young Africans can find freedom through writing.
Storytellers from all around the world will join together at Concerns for Nature to share stories of nature with the world, using the power of writing to save our planet! This is my dream.
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