IN his Independence Day address, President David Granger declared that the future belongs to young people.

The Head-of-State said the resources derived from economic expansion and diversification of the country with the impending oil industry will be deployed, primarily to secure and safeguard “our children’s and grandchildren’s future.” “Young people can be assured of greater opportunities as a result of oil production and the policies of the Guyana Green State Development Strategy,” the Guyanese leader assured the nation. He said already young people are playing a pivotal role in driving development, and his government will further position them to assume responsibility for the nation’s future. The address by His Excellency reminds us of the lyrics of Whitney Houston’s, “Greatest Love of All,” which also remind us of children’s value, the empty reservoir of their impressionable minds, and the importance of nourishing it that will put them in good stead to lead the way. For our young people to take hold of the future, then, like Houston advised in her song, we must teach them well.

Some are wont to say that children did not ask us to be here, and with their presence comes responsibility to ensure their socialisation is such that they can lead productive lives, bringing reward to themselves, family, and society. There are others who argue that you make the children, but you don’t make their minds. This outlook is more steeped in resignation and oft used when children are engaged in anti-social behaviour, or may have disappointed their loved ones.

The mind is like a sponge, having the ability to absorb what’s happening around it. Our children are impressionable and the process of learning, according to science, starts within the womb, which is described as uteral moulding. Children today, as against the days of yore, are exposed to many more channels or avenues for information, knowledge, and acts that are informing their reality.

In this Information Age, children face and navigate their daily existence and interpretations of reality by the technology in their homes, hands, classrooms, and other environs. These technologies have their positives and negatives, as in the latter instance children can be seen engaging in acts considered age- inappropriate and not in their best interests.
The African proverb that says it takes a village to raise a child still remains appropriate. And though the proverbial village is no longer confined to a physical geographic space, the wisdom of it cannot be ignored. Technology has brought the world to the fingertips of man and with it the benefits and pitfalls. In this environment, it becomes the responsibility of adults to carve out and create the needed space where it can be used for the children’s best interests.

Gone are the days when the sources of information were confined to the families, neighbourhoods and schools, and the fairy tales that were told in the past about sex, childbirth and other related issues can no longer be told. With the multiplicity of information sources out there and relatively easy access to them, where the family fails to educate, misinformation and curiosity could lead to dire consequences.

The influence of peer pressure to explore, prove oneself and conform to behavioural lifestyles deemed counter-productive, escaping these rely on strong support mechanisms, most times in and around the home. When this is assured, children develop confidence of positive convictions, their abilities, and love for self, and become more open in sharing experiences on issues that occurred away from home with adults and peers within this environment, who can provide a shoulder to lean on.

It is much better in today’s society to make children au fait with the facts and truths. When they are properly informed, armed with knowledge, and understanding of what the issues are, they are more likely to make sober decisions. The responsibility for children enjoying every phase of their childhoods and having the benefit of the process of education is vested in active players in society, such as the home, school, village, and social organisations. These institutions can provide the needed mentorship.

Houston’s entreaty that the children are our future, we should teach them well and let them lead the way, by showing them all the beauty they possess inside, and giving them a sense of pride to make it easier, remains applicable, each and every day of their lives.