As the year calendar clings towards what Africans normally referred as “Ember Months” that is the months from September onwards till December, the Management of TopAfric Media House Hamburg is getting ready for 4th African Youth Education Award in Hamburg (Germany) coming up on?22nd of November 2014?(AYE AWARD).Venue: IHK-Hamburg..This first of its kind and inspiring Educational Award programme is designed to encourage, educate and enlighten African Children in Germany to take education serious as a panacea to the crushing economic, idealistic, and complexity problems that had crippled most African immigrant?s families in Germany.
In other words, I am referring to African families of those who came toGermany?in the sixties; understandably majority came at that time as students which in returned they had expected by now to have built stronger educational, economic and social structures for their children generation and the up expected African immigrants/aliens.Rather that?s did not happened as most of these folks had lived without futurist thought of what?tomorrowbecomes to them and their children; They had lived the way of slaves “were heard but not seen” And the consequences of that absent mindedness landed their offspring?s into decumbent social status, their (kids) mostly ended up without college degrees and therefore became low in-come earners with shaky futures. At such there was nothing like Youth Educational Award Educational programmes that period to encourage these kids to aspire high in life and to further educations, So few that ventured to study were not encouraged but some who continued managed to pass-out, and that?s why today you hardly see any of these kids (now adults) addressed as Doctors or Lawyers .Ironically their fathers now old men were the set of people sent by families and communities/Government back in Africa, to Germany to study and acquire education but regrettably many ended up not educating their own children in Germany. What a tragedy!
The short fall or otherwise the vacuum created by not encouraging African Kids to take college serious by these first set of Africans (students) in Germany was the reason the first Radio Director of African Origin Chief Desmond Beddy; a stocky black ebony looking and grey hairy gentlemen of a modest approach, launched into this educational programme four ago obviously with the sole aim and objective of filling the gulf.
To Mr.Desmod, a class of third African Immigrant from Ghana and a father of four “Education is the bed rock of any community to survive and improve life” In his wider thinking ?Education is the only weapon of liberation from ignorance poverty and diseases?. He unlike most of his contemporaries knew the need to start the culture of encouraging and collectively instilling-in the importance of High Education to our African kids, getting and preparing them for the social-economic challenges ahead. Unlike most African living in Germany Desmond is an African per excellence as he does not believe in dividing the tiny African community in parts, according to him we could build a formidable African community together hence your country of origin in Africa is insignificant; and he had in the many instances demonstrated this gesture by embarking on activities/programmes set out to carry Africans families as one people defined by culture,colour and origin.
So far the (AYE AWARDS) programme has come a long way to encouragingand brighten the chances of African children ALOT as those who are already into university or about to enter including those following by; converge every year under this laudable programme to enlighten, interact and educate each other. Over the years AYE Awards programme had attracted Government institutions in Hamburg, Corporate bodies, embassies and Consulates and individuals, though with minimal financial assistance from Government Desmond is determined to allow this non profit programme succeed as according to him” If institutionalising this great programme were to take his last dime he wouldn?t mind?. In any case Desmond can be called a true community leader of quintessence hence his determination to go the way of great minds.
This year is the fourth stage and as usual allots of people both adults and youngs, africans and foreigners alike are expected to grace the occasion even more than the previous years. Most likely the education minister inHamburg?will be there also and so is many Ambassadors from?Africa,last year?Ghana?Ambassador and his?Uganda?counterpart were there. On this note the management of Topafric Media under the Directorship of Desmond Beddy invites all well meaning individuals, corporate bodies and professionals of Africans Origins living in and around?Hamburg?to join, partner and be part of this wonderful up-coming event to uplift our kids. As small as African populations are in Germany the time for individualistic thinking and mindset is over, the early we encourage each and every child the better for us as a community to improve our chances for a better future.
Adams Kennedy Chidi
