Chasing your dreams is always full of challenges and obstacles, no matter where you are in the world. If you are living in Africa, many things will be on the path to being able to achieve your dreams, and sometimes, they can be powerful enough to kill your dreams.
If you are a big dream person, you should be aware that you will face major challenges, but you should never allow them to kill your dreams. With proper encouragement and strict determination, you will overcome every difficulty and reach your goals.
In this article, I will discuss the 10 things that can kill your dream in Africa.
1. Lack of access to standard education
Even if some people can argue that you can still be very good without formal education, it is undoubtedly a good basis to start it. With good education, you are better ready for the challenges of the world and can recognize opportunities when they come. Education covers your unused ability and allows you to improve significant skills and knowledge.
The quality of education in Africa is all over the developed countries of the world. The literacy rate in Africa is lower than the rest of the world, and it is the result of many factors, including poor infrastructure, lack of trained teachers, inadequate content of learning and more.
2. Corruption
Corruption is found in many African countries. Corruption prevents the development of the entire nation and limits the individual’s ability. It limits fair access to resources, opportunities and even basic facilities.
You may have the best ideas, the best results, and the greatest ability, but the person who is less eligible but a powerful relative will have the opportunity for you.
In many industries, such as public service and private contracts, corruption is still a major obstacle. You are often asked for bribe. This is no longer about the ability, all about contact power. People who want to be clean often feel that they are out of the game. It not only kills dreams but also hinders honesty and hard work in society.
3. Political instability
Many African countries have also come to have somehow faced instability in their political system, elections that have been marked by violence, sudden changes in policy, urban unrest, and even war. Although for most people who are not in public politics, this whole case may be unrelated, but it can really have a significant impact on your personal ambitions.
Like political instability, nothing affects citizens. Your access to resources, the economy and your security will be at risk. You can now start a business, and the next day it can be closed by riots. You may not be sure that the rules and regulations of your plan will not be changed at the next moment.
In a steady place, dreams flourish, but when people are at risk for their lives and livelihoods, trying to find dreams go back to one.
4. Economic challenges
Often, the biggest reason for giving up people is the lack of money. Poverty is currently in Africa and the financial system is not well developed. In developed countries, there are several ways to fund your dreams, including debt, grant, and even angel investors. In Africa, the story is quite different.
In many cases, the only solution is to get a loan from the bank, which is difficult for young innovators to meet because they will not usually have suicide. As a result, a large number of potential and intelligent projects never see daylight.
5. Poor infrastructure
Despite its great potential, Africa’s infrastructure has not been damaged in most regions. In many areas of Africa, infrastructure shortages are so severe that they have become a real threat to even getting very impressive and outstanding ideas. You may have already imagined some challenges, for example, how can an online business run when the power supply is so irregular?
Poor infrastructure can ruin a person’s future in multiple ways, starts from electricity and water to roads, internet and transport systems – uncertain infrastructure can slow down your progress, eliminate your energy, and eventually make your dream an unrealistic concept.
In many African cultures, family and traditions can easily squash individual dreams. The dream of becoming a fashion designer, tech entrepreneur, or a filmmaker is not the ideology of the “real work” family.
Really safe, traditional routes – doctors, lawyers, engineers, a high demand for a government worker. People who take different paths are often considered dangerous or rebellious. It is normal that when your family has worked hard in your education and it can be painful/painful to reject their expectations.
Therefore, most people decide to shelter their dreams and raise areas that are more “respect”.
7. The absence of guidance and guidance
All the big things are the team’s efforts. The problem is that in Africa, people often have no guardian. The best minds often look for green pastures in developed countries abroad, leaving the continent and leading to a lot of guidance for the coming generation.
If you have no guardian, you have no choice but to learn from trial and mistaken. It takes a lot of time, and not everyone can tolerate a lot of shocks on their own. Often, a wonderful idea is wasted to fail, not because it was bad, but because the one who dreamed is entering the dark.
8. ignore mental health
It’s tired to struggle after your dream. Without the support network, it is more painful to struggle after it.
Mental health is still a title that is not openly debated in many African communities. Sadness, anxiety, burnout – these are all difficulties that are often considered nor focused on them. “Being a man”, “prayer,” or “strong” is said to be what you are expected.
Many people abandon their dreams ahead of time because they are unable to take care of their mental health, not because the dream itself is unacceptable.
9. Stress of peer
With the rise of social media, everyone is creating the impression that they are the winners. On the other hand, in African urban centers where opportunities are not so high, the tension of “making” is very fast. You’ve seen photos of your friend running benz, second in Dubai, and the third is once again photographing the picture at an expensive restaurant, okay?
If you start to feel behind, you try to achieve this process. With your leisure but definitely you abandon the realistic dream, which rapidly gives rewards. Enough you can be fortunate enough to get the rewards immediately, but this will undoubtedly hurt you in a long time.
10. The fear of failure
One of the strange things about Africa is that it is a deep community society. Everyone in the society knows his neighbor. So, when you fail, they not only fail, but the failure is known to the public. Your neighbors know, your family knows, and your friends spread rumors. The embarrassment is crushing.
In fact, many people don’t even try. They do not dare. They justify themselves as “waiting for the right time”, but in depth, they are in fear. Fear of stupid, depriving money and disappointing people.
Conclusion
You may face many challenges in the process of achieving your dreams, you should never consider defeat. The whole world needs your abilities. Africa, in particular, is a great need. There may be a lot of things on your way, but if you work hard and are smart enough, your dreams are achieved.