Saturday, September 29, 2007

role of youth in health development

One of the issues our country is facing right now concerns about the health situation of the Filipinos. It is so blatant that our countrymen are more prone to illness and diseases due to different factors, which are by-products of our daily activities. Some of the factors include pollution, population explosion, and poverty. The adults did and are still doing their jobs to promote a healthy country. And what are we, the youth, to do? Just stare and wait for developments? Think again.
On my personal point of view, to be able to prevent weeds from growing in our backyard, one must uproot them, not only to cut the stem or the leaf. The point? Same logic must be applied to our country today. To be able to give solutions to the problems, one must locate and identify the root, and then uproot it. Since we know that health issues are also caused by recklessness of our countrymen, we must go back to the basic; that is, education. And since you can’t teach an old dog a new trick, let’s start the massive uprooting with the youth.
Education is indeed a very vital factor for one’s development. When you’re not equipped with the proper knowledge, then you have nothing good to apply. The youth must go to school, must learn, and comprehend for them to be able to practice certain necessary skills. They must educate themselves, and when they do, they could educate others. And because he is already knowledgeable and equipped with the vital skills, then he is ready to face the world, comprehend the issues it is facing, and then think of solutions. Not many could realize the importance and value of education.
It has been said that learning is merely nothing in the absence of application. It is indeed true. The youths must apply their learning with the thought that whatever they do, everybody can enjoy the benefits that their project could give. They could do some research on the common diseases that a community has, then do something about it. If only they have the passion to make a difference, they can do it despite the obstacles.
Judging on what we hear on news, the numbers of youth involved in malicious and indecent acts are growing. They seem to be drawn to drug abuse, early pregnancy, prostitution and etc, which, as we all know, are closely associated with health issues. Logically speaking, all of those problems are results of poverty. And yet the only way to conquer it is education. Nothing beats education paired with positive attitude.
The youths must also consider attitudinal change, because they seem to be stereotyped by the society. They seem to be walking in a directionless way, or else they are in the wrong way. They must consider their priorities and must also inculcate within themselves that they live to help others. So now they know the health issues our country’s facing right now. Why not give it a shot to make something out of it?
The youths are very essential to our community, because the future depends on them. What they do in the present affects the future. Take this never-fading quotation: "The youth is the hope of our motherland" It’s been said a lot to us, causing the depreciation of it’s meaning. As time goes by, it becomes meaningless. And yet, now is the time to relive its true meaning. The youths must act before it’s too late.

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