النهار

Our youth are the future, and sparkle of hope! They are the decision makers and the main spinal cord in a society. However, the voice of youth is raised when facing a lot of challenges that stand as a hindrance in their way of improvement. A loss of hope and optimism is prevailing among youth. For example, those who are educated but cannot find opportunities to thrive in work, and others who left early their education to afford their living. Our youth in the MENA region are facing predicaments and losing opportunities on a large scale.

It is noteworthy to state that “Two-thirds of MENA’s population is under the age of 35. Youth unemployment (ages 15-24) is over 25%; nearly half of this group (40%) are females, including those with tertiary degrees” (Twitter). This shows that the problem of unemployment is escalating and can negatively impact the way of living. Moreover, “Youth continue to face a multitude of challenges in the region. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and its interruption of schooling has deepened the education crisis and widened existing inequalities. Children and young people in vulnerable contexts, including those living in poverty or rural areas, refugees, displaced, migrants, girls and young women, and people with disabilities, are more likely to be out of school and left behind (Unicef, 2022).

An 18 year Lebanese youth, Liana is a great example that portrays our extreme suffering in Lebanon due to the Lebanese economic crisis. It is a tsunami that hit our country and destroyed the dreams of many youth. She mentioned, “We are deprived from our rights as humans to learn and live in peace. I graduated from high school this year and I want to continue my university studies. How can I afford the financial fees? Also, we are suffering from unemployment and even employees have lost the value of their wages. What is more sad is that some youth are obliged to leave education to work. We are trapped in the black circle of misery.” To add more, this is the same situation that most youth are suffocating to survive.

Rola is a 22 year old Lebanese girl who is struggling between learning and working at the sametime. She stated that, “ I am a Lebanese University graduate. I am pursuing my master's studies and teaching. My dreams are destroyed and I have no other choice. To make matters worse, COVID 19 influenced our physical, mental, and psychological well-being in a negative way.How can young people be hopeful in a country full of many problems? It really hurts when you are ambitious but none of your ambitions are achieved!

For more illustration, due to the disastrous situation in the homeland, the youth are travelling to other countries to find the suitable opportunities. For instance, Lebanon is facing a brain drain since the beginning of the crisis and it is still increasing. Then, how can youth survive in such an environment where they do not get their rights? How can they be motivated to be productive and independent in a country that is struggling to take a breath?

All in all, the young people need to be empowered in spite of their race, gender, environment, and gender. Learning new skills is what they really need to know about to make the right decisions in life and build the blocks of a prosperous future. Regardless of all the hindrances that they are facing, our youth can still rise up in all fields because of their strong will to shine.”The future of the country is in the hands of the youth.” They are the energy, power, and the pure soul!