A LOVE LETTER TO THE YOUTH'S

Dear Youth,

You may be wondering why I am writing a love letter to you all ? Well I do believe in doing things out of the normal, after all we are youth right? So I do believe we are dynamic, we are creative, we are determined and always looking at how we will discover the next best thing to solve a difficult situation or innovation. This is a love letter from me to you! Read that right. A love letter expressing all that I wish someone could express to me so that I can view the world as it is and make it a better place for us all to build, grown and just improve our well-being.

So here goes, I know it has been hard! I know for a very long time you haven’t felt like you belong; be it at home or across the country or within your circle of friends and guess what it is very much okay to feel that way. I felt it too sometimes, well very many times! Growing up, when I was in high school , when I was looking for a job, when I started my own business up until I became a CAS which is who I am today. So feeling that sense of belonging and ownership takes time, sometimes it takes longer that we all expect it to take but hey, it's life! It could be that you just needed someone who was going to help you feel like a you are a part of something even bigger than yourself and well from there you never ask questions you just take it away and just hope it shall get you to a destination where you can stand on your own and say ‘YES I DO FEEL LIKE I BELONG!’

Why am I saying all this dear youth? Well because that place I felt like that I don’t call it my destination but it is definitely a starting point to something bigger than myself, so big that I knew that I couldn’t stay with that knowledge and experience all by myself and that is why for me being Nadia Naddy all the way to a CAS, a state officer and a public servant I have learnt a lot and well truth be told still learning as I keep moving forward. And it is the basic reason as to why I started the Kenya Ni Mimi initiative, to help other Kenyan Youth feel the very same thing and discover the very same thing I have discovered as I still occupy my position while I await my next challenge in my career life. If as a Youth we don’t believe in taking responsibility and ownership of ourselves as Kenyans, take responsibility of going to access information about Government programs and grabbing opportunity where we see them. If we shall not insist on representation even if it is the bare minimum in your own community then we shall have lost the true essence of the Spirit of being a Kenyan.

So really my love letter is to just acknowledge how hard it can get as a young person especially baring in mind the African setup that we tend to grow up in which is oneness, inheritance of responsibilities from the elders, the pressure of being married or marrying at that certain age and just being able to have it all and not being seen as a burden or failure. It truly is hard and that is how we get challenged and psychologically taken advantage of when it comes to issues to do with tribe, politics, community and so on.

As young people we tend not to be given a chance to think individually as,’Me as a Kenyan what truly is my responsibility?’rather we are so accustomed to thinks as,’Me coming from so and so what is my responsibility?’ And that right there is what cripples us my fellow youth, it is what puts us at a disadvantage because we are unable to think as a singular fit rather we start thinking collectively even when we see openly that truly this will lead to a dead end and the results truly won’t be as pleasant as you could think.

So really my love letter is also to accept that we truly haven’t given each other time to listen to ourselves when we are alone and take note of the thoughts that would run through your mind when you are walking to your place once you alight from that matatu or when you have closed office at 6pm and your stomach is rumbling really trying to figure out what am I to eat then, or when you are struggling to write your resume and you ask yourself truly am I tried or is there something I am missing? We just haven’t given ourselves time to hear our thoughts or listen to the rumbles of our stomachs or the hymes in our ears.

That is because we don’t know how to pause, we don’t know how to say stop I am tired, we don’t know how to just look at ourselves and pat ourselves on the back for the good that we have done however little it is or reflected on the bad or mistakes we have made and said tomorrow is a different day. I bet as you are reading this, you are nodding your head and also puzzled as to how, how does she know this or why is she saying all this? It Is a love letter after all isn’t it? And as I write to the youth I am also one of them and I am also writing to myself but at the same time I am recalling a time like this which I have just described, I never had time to listen to myself and that is because I thought I had no time! I mean truly, ‘time waits for no man, but time really is there if you really think about it.’

So really my love letter is to remind you that building a nation starts with build yourself as an individual, I can sing all day and you all can help me sing along and say,’Kenya Ni Mimi, Kenya Ni Wewe, Kenya Ni Sisi Sote!’ but do you truly believe in it? if you feel broken or discouraged by all that you read and all that you see or experienced then would you truly see Kenya as your responsibility having it in mind that you are 1 of the 35Million plus young people who are below the age of 35?

My love letter to the youth is to definitely acknowledge the challenges we face or have ahead of us or within us but it is to also acknowledge that the solution lies within ourselves if we just believe that Kenya is bigger and greater than us and when we are patriotic enough, united enough and peaceful enough we would be able to influence our mindset to be positive and think positively not only to create solutions for ourselves, but to also create solutions that would help others around us to have a better livelihood for themselves and that right their is the sustainability mentality.

My love letter to the youth is to also make us all understand that our government is a facilitator, the key role it plays is to facilitate different measures, different opportunities and create conducive environments for businesses, for youth, for livelihood for the betterment of the nation today, tomorrow and for the future generation. Therefore, as youth we have to inject the inquisitiveness within ourselves and adopt, get information and build on the tailored made opportunities the government has for us young people so that we can also showcase what works, what doesn’t work and how can we enhance the programs to make them better and more efficient for the generations to come.

So my love letter really is to act as a key reminder that the responsibility of us building our nation and boosting it lies within ourselves. Are we patriotic enough to refuse any disruption that would cause stagnant development among the young people as years come by? I believe we are and wise enough to be change makers.

And lastly, my love letter is to remind you that you are Loved, You are Important, You are Valued, You are Acknowledged, You are Trusted and You are known to be the generation that truly believes in the spirit of togetherness because we have all realised, if we don’t grown and see our individual responsibility then truly the generation that follows us has a lot to lose rather than gain.

In this lover letter I want to acknowledge how important our mental health is! We are faced with a lot of adversities, a lot of insightfulness, a lot of trauma, a lot of challenges and a lot of rejection unfortunately but we never pay attention to the effects it has on our minds. We just see them as words or actions done to us but truthfully words dig deeper and affect more than the actions we see beforehand.

So really, I do want us to normalise the conversations on mental health not for us or the generations ahead of us but for those that follow us. We need to normalise not being okay, being tired, having anxiety, having PTSD and all sorts of conditions. It is important because we have a generation that was forced to see suffering in silence as a usual norm, taking up abuse as a sign of strength and always just taking the bullet for your family, neighbour or friends. We need to start healing, growing and nurturing what needs to blossom and start living a life where young people are not scared of being vulnerable because vulnerability is a sigh of strength.

So truly my love letter is to just let you know that as youths our passion lies within our hearts, our determinations are very spiritually inclined with what we want to achieve! We have to own our own narratives and unapologetically own who we are and what we are without fear of being singled out unsure of what would be an outcome. So whoever reads this letter, weather Kenyan, African or beyond the truth of the matter is that the responsibility lies within yourself! own every part of you and own it to the best of your ability, because in all honesty nobody is going to save you unless it is you yourself! And Kenya is all that we have! Kenya Ni Mimi na Africa Ni Sisi Sote.

Happy International Youth's Day 2022.

AS A YOUNG PERSON, WHAT DO YOU STAND FOR?

This is a frequent question I ask myself from time to time just to keep myself in check and be true to myself and what I do. I mean I have numerous interactions with young people and sometimes it does surprise me how a handful or even more have no idea what they stand for infact they never have these candid moments with themselves to just keep them in check and really just push themselves to do more than what the grapevine spits out. But I do know you are quiet confused right now, wonder why is it so important for us as young people to know what we stand for? I mean these aren't questions we are asked or values we are instilled with as we grow up. But why does the word change or challenge exists? In my personal opinion I think it exists to challenge us and prompt us to do better, do different and just do, thereafter we can analyse and see what the outcome may be.

So back to what you stand for as a young person, how do you discover or know what you stand for when you really haven't even thought about it? Here's a question to throw at you, have you ever been in a position where you see something and you get so angry at how that thing or the situation is and you just wish someone could just tell you to do something about it? or have you ever been in a forum and there is a discussion going on, and you are relating so well with that discussion that you have that burning desire to just be called and given a chance to speak out and be heard? Well that right there is part of a sign of what you stand for! We stand for things that give us strong urges to be part of, to voice out and to just keep pushing up until something is done about it or up until as an individual you come up with a solution that can be part of it.

I mean I am just here trying to encourage young people to have a different outlook when it comes to life, involvement in issues that affect them and just questioning our intentions when we want to create impact and change. At the end of it all, it goes down to your willingness to take that leap of faith and doing what you believe is right and impactful to you. And guess what, sometimes what you really stand for will require you to stand alone and to just do what you feel is right. Shut out the unnecessary noise and be about it, without having to worry to what extent it requires you to go.

We are always told being young or being youthful is a phase and that one day It shall fade away and what would remain are the memories that keep you a float with so many,'how I wish I did more.' But I really don't conform with this ideology! while yes being young and youthful is but an age structure, I believe that what you start during that age is nothing mare than a foundation that you put up for what lies ahead and needs to be accomplished. Therefore, don't rush do what you need to do knowing very well that what you believe and stand for is sustainable and achievable even after you surpass the age of 35.

Take time, find your interest, find your niche and be about it! Make your passion your lifestyle and do it to your best of your ability. Success just doesn't happen in a fortnight and it also doesn't happen by chance, success happens when hard work, preparedness and honesty meet at the right place at the right time. So don't give up on yourself because you are more than what you see and can be more than what you believe you can do.

LEADERSHIP & MENTAL HEALTH

Most of the time people don't realise that there is a thin line between leadership and mental health, they always just assume because we are leaders we automatically have to have a thick skin to all the insults, to all the criticism ( and most of the time they term them as constructive criticism) and just insensitivity. I mean if someone would have told me 5 years ago that there would come a time where social media ( Instagram & Twitter ) would compromise my mental health and I would quit I would have not believed them at all. But here I am today as I write this blog post I can proudly tell you I am very happy for removing myself out of social media ( Instagram & Twitter ) because in all honestly I will not compromise my mental health just because I am a leader and I have to subject myself to the toxicity that surrounds it. Hence why I say there is a thin line, it really is a border line between sanity and people inflicting so much toxicity and prompt you to drive yourself to insanity and all for what? Satisfying those who believe they have a right to bring you down? All for likes and comments? Or all for those who would see you as weak and say, 'Oh hey we knew she/he isn't a strong leader, look she/he left the socials!'

If anyone today measures your strength and capacity as a leader by the strength in which you can take in the toxicity and ignore it then that person my friend is just someone who is trying to justify how mentally cripple they are and just want to feel good about themselves by breaking you down. I believe Leadership is spiritual and if you find yourself at a place where your spirituality is being compromised or your peace is taken away from you then it is time to take yourself away from that particular place and find a place where you would still continue with your purpose and do onto people what you would want to be done onto yourself. I hope I am very loud and clear, because I believe gone are the days where as leaders we have to keep quiet, suffer in silence and just take in everything we go through and still stay at the same place. Times have changed, people have to change, we need to be kinder to one another and learn how to speak and be spoken at.

We each have just one mind that helps us function and deliver so if today we are unable to do that then how are we to progress? Our culture specifically doesn't allow leaders to show vulnerability and to speak up when we are not okay because as leaders we have to be strong, because we are the ones leading the people. But it really struct me and made me rethink, how are we to lead if we ourselves are afraid to tell those who want to be lead to be kinder, to be sensitive and to understand even with all the hate and negativity things won't still get solved just like that. I mean think about it, how are you to pour from an empty cup? How are you to make someone else feel good and be hopeful if you aren't there or have been stripped away of all that and have no sense of direction or logic towards anything said or done to you.

I actually haven't been okay for the past month and if I didn't watch out I would have lost myself, I would have pushed myself and put myself out there just to satisfy the mass all because I am a leader. I acknowledge I am a leader, I am a young leader, I am a young female leader, I am a young African female leader. I do understand what all these titles mean to those inside and those outside, I understand the expectations that come about with all this, I understand all the push and pressure that surrounds it but I also do understand as a leader I need to be weary of my mental health, about my emotions and about my actions. But how many leaders think like me, how many leaders feel so pressured and are faced with so much toxicity online that it can sometimes drive them insane yet they are afraid of pulling themselves out of it and just being. I think it is time we view leaders as human beings, as people who actually have a mass of responsibility towards those they lead and towards themselves as well. I still strongly believe and feel that there are so many ways in which we can speak to one another, ways in which we can express dissatisfaction without wishing death on someone and also there is a way in which we can respect leaders when they say they are not okay and need to take themselves out of a situation before coming back to face it.

We need to normalise Mental Health awareness among leaders because truthfully you only have one life and one brain and if that brain is affected then you are unable to function or even deliver. We need to learn to also respect those who are public figures and put their work and themselves out in the public, they actually have a lot that they deal with. They deal with themselves, they deal with those they lead, they deal with expectations, they deal with mainstream media, they deal with social media and any other external and internal issues as well. So before you troll, or bully, criticise or make fun of a public figure think about how you are doing it, why you are doing it and ask yourself how it would make you feel if it was you. Hiding behind 'constructive criticism.' Just because you are intentionally bringing someone down doesn't make you a hero infact it is a reflection of how you feel about yourself. Most of us are carrying traumas, hurt, disappointments, frustrations and so much more, most times we just want to project that to other people rather than dealing with it ourselves face front. We need to do a lot of soul searching, a lot of healing and a lot of gratitude practice because am looking at a situation where more young public figures are coming out and saying no to being trolled and being brought down and being laughed at because they refuse to subject themselves to a lifestyle that has been normalised all because of fear of disappointing people who barely even know who most of us are and react based on the entitlement they have because of a certain position we occupy or a certain role we play in the public space.

And here is something to think about if all leaders and public figures leave the internet and refuse to be on mainstream media just so as they can protect their mental health, how then are we going to be empowered? How then are we going to get inspiration from those we look upto? How then are we going to build a tribe that vibrates positivity and growth. As a leader, as a young leader, as a young female leader, as a young African female leader my personal decision is to bid good bye to my personal social media spaces ( Instagram & Twitter ) because my mental health is far more important and greater than anything. I shall continue my work and my pages shall continue sharing the engagements we are doing to reach out to those who want to be reached, but as a leader I had taken the step to also share the other side of me to teach people how to be you and still vibrate as a leader towards the people, but because of the toxicity encapsulating these spaces it is safe to say formal approach is the best approach, only those within my circle have the privilege and access to my informal space BECAUSE MY MENTAL HEALTH MATTER AND IS EVERYTHING!

To my fellow leaders and public figures don't let these spaces drive you to a point of no return, it is OKAY NOT TO BE OKAY! Speak up, embrace you and work on you if need be seek help because our mental healths are important and these spaces they are being challenged left right and centre.

Yours Truly,

Nadia Abdalla.

XoXo.