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What do you wish you had known when you were young? Youth responses Part II

When some people look back on their younger years, they express that if they had the chance to go back, there are things they would change, such as life decisions they made or valuing things they didn’t appreciate when they were young.

Talking to different people reveals that they made mistakes in their youth that hindered their life opportunities, even though it didn’t seem significant at the time. These experiences serve as lessons for the young, teaching them how to prepare for a better future before making mistakes.

Minani Martin, a student at the Independent University of Kigali, like many other young people, shared in our interview that there are things she would change if she had the chance to go back in time.

Minani Martin mentioned making a mistake in choosing his studies.

He said, “What I wish I had known when I was younger is choosing things that bring quick benefits. If I had studied engineering, I would have been able to create jobs early and earn money without having to study history.”

Like him, Uwimbabazi Nadia mentioned that children are often hindered by decisions made for them, with the consequences affecting their future, while making their own choices might help them realize their dreams.

She said, “What I should have known when I was young is to make my own decisions because often children think that parents should make decisions for us, like choosing what to study. I realized there are things we should decide for ourselves. For example, when choosing what to study, parents often tell you to do this or that.”

A young man named Mugisha Davide wished he had understood that the future is prepared in youth.

He said, “What I wish I had known when I was younger is that who I am at that time was preparing for the future. For example, I would have saved earlier and planned for the future. When you’re young, there is money parents give you for school, and money siblings give you. If I had saved, I would be better off than I am now.”

Uwizeyimana Evangeline also said she is not satisfied with her current level and that it is something she could have corrected if she had known when she was younger.

She said, “I should have saved because my current level is due to neglecting it. At 15, I had the opportunity to save, but I ignored it.”

Mutesi Hope regrets not valuing education in her youth, but now she is a witness to the benefits of learning.

She said, “When I was young, they used to force me to go to school, and I didn’t see it as beneficial, but now I see the benefits because when you look for a job, they tell you to study first and then come back.”

Uwase Neema stated that she wasn’t happy in her youth because she wanted to grow up prematurely.

She said, “What I wish I had known when I was younger is that everything has its time. When I was young, I acted like an adult. Now I feel like going back to those years and doing everything I missed. I didn’t enjoy my childhood, playing with my peers. I thought I was a grown-up girl and didn’t want to get dirty. I didn’t eat many children’s foods. Now, when I see children doing those things, I wonder why I didn’t do them, but nowadays, I am living with the age I am in.”

Munyaneza Peace said she wishes she had known the importance of being happy and creating joy.

She said, “Whether you’re sad or have problems, you must be happy. You must create joy because it helps you move forward and see that there is a life tomorrow. In my childhood, I wanted to join other kids and play, cook ‘runonko,’ but I isolated myself.”

Maganza Ankine said that if she could go back in time, she would value obedience more.

She said, “What I wish I had known when I was younger is to be more obedient. I’m not saying I wasn’t obedient, but to be more so. Things parents tell us, teachers raised us differently from others, and they have a reason. It’s good to be obedient because what an elder tells you is something they have experienced. So, it’s good for young people to listen to their elders.”

Like this youth, you may also feel that there are many things you would change if you could go back in time, but the bad news is that it’s not possible. However, you still have the opportunity to change a few things in the remaining life ahead. For the young ones, you still have all the opportunities!

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