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champions. Our nation is currently facing enormous challenges that include limited employment opportunities and inadequate funding.
Even if we face such challenges, we cannot allow ourselves to be downgraded and discouraged by a temporary situation that doesn’t have full control on the outcome of our lives. We must choose to continue dreaming and pushing ourselves to higher levels.

If a youth has any greatness in him/her, it will come to light, not in one flamboyant hour, but in how he/she conducts their daily work. Most of young people have gone to foreign countries in search of employment and a new lease of life and yes, in the process some have been lucky, but some have been abused and taken advantage of while others have been successful.
Our neighbouring countries and the world at large continue benefit from our home-grown skills, knowledge, intelligence and ability in exchange for minimum wage yet our beloved Zimbabwe lags behind. Our country is looked down upon when she is the mother of all talent, which is now serving in foreign governments and their economies.

It is our youth that are heading some of the top foreign companies from the construction industry, banking sector, insurance to health care, transport, information technology, telecommunications and even sport.
We should not look at ourselves and see failure. We cannot think of ourselves as poor people for we are strong and poised with the ability to survive even in the most difficult economic conditions. Asian countries and the United States have recently been hit by Tsunamies, tornados, floods and all kinds of natural disasters but survived and have gone on to rebuild their cities.

Zimbabwe may not have experienced a natural disaster as devastating as a Tsunami but we have had our own economic challenge, which no country of the world has ever seen but we managed to rise as a people and redeem ourselves.

Youths proved that we have the capacity to take care of ourselves even inline of isolation, sabotage and betrayal. We illustrated that we have what it takes to win, survive and be masters of our own destiny.
If you are a Zimbabwean youth you would know that within you is the seed of an entrepreneur and not a slave. As Zimbabwean youths, we have been tried, tested and tried again both local and in foreign countries and we have been found with tenacity and the necessary drive to succeed. We should always remember but also believe.

Success is not measured by what we accomplish but by the opposition we have encountered, and the courage with which we have maintained in the struggle against overwhelming odds.
The current job market is starving university graduates of career opportunities and career options, youths are just settling for “rese rese (any job)” just to earn a living while forfeiting their God given purpose and destiny in life. The current economic conditions although improving at a very slow pace have drained hope from our youths to an extent where we have forgotten who we are and what we stand for.

We cannot continue to resort to unconventional business models that do not have a contribution to our future. The youth of this great nation are the future and we cannot crumble at the face of adversity.
We cannot give in no matter how difficult circumstances can become. Our fathers who came before us fought and sacrificed for this freedom and independence we now enjoy. It is now our turn and the world we face today demands that we sacrifice even more.

We are now holding the baton and we cannot let it slip through our hands whilst we watch. Educated as we are the battle for economic independence is for us to fight and we must not back down or be ignorant and waste our opportunity in unconventional business models. Those in the IT Sector let Google, Microsoft, Apple, IBM be your inspiration.

Those in the oil industry compete for oil deals in countries like Libya in the future rubbing shoulders with major oil companies of the world so our Zimbabwe can benefit. Individuals in aviation and transport sector, we need more airlines in this country, we need high speed trains and subways.
the manufacturing industry must exorcise the ghost of the turn of the Millennium and rediscover its status as a giant in Africa. Youths in real estate please take a second look at our cities because what we have is obliviously not the best we can do. Our open areas are craving for skyscrapers and malls.

The mining sector should aim in the future not only to mine but also process and export finished products.
We can still rise even if faced by adversity, it is in our nature and yes we can. The economic challenges we face today fellow youths are not stop signs but they are guidelines. A man is a success if he gets up every morning and goes to bed every night and does whatever develops him during the day. As young people how are we spending our days? And as we do, is the future on our minds because only winners in life think constantly in terms of I can, I will, and I am.

• Innocent Katsande works for the Zimbabwe Youth Council, he represented the country on youth issues at the African Union.