What is the solution to our youth problems?

13 June 2016, 12:00AM

 Ilia Likou was told by those interviewed that lax discipline, failing families, the diminishing authority of the church and the failure of government to create opportunities for jobs are some of the contributing factors. 

Tali Lino, 43, Vaitele Fou

Problems facing our youth are not new. The answer is in the Bible - Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it - meaning we need to bring back the old rule – ‘salulima’ and that’s how we can help to teach and discipline our children before grow older. I am not blaming anyone for what’s happening because it all starts from the parents. It all starts from the family; this kind of problem is the result of their upbringing. If parents are not careful and are not teaching them well, this is how their children will end up.Viena Upu, 60, Sinamoga

Viena Upu, 60, Sinamoga

Unemployment is one of biggest challenges facing our young people of today and our government needs to create more and more job opportunities. As well as being able to look at the root of the problem then the government needs to look into the end results of these matters and find ways to solve ongoing problems facing our youth. If it isn’t fixed today who’s going to do it for us tomorrow? The longer you and I leave it, the bigger the problem gets.

Fa’aaliga Auvele

Our youth are facing problems, suffering and hardships. There’s nothing much we can do, or to tell the parents on how to teach and how to raise their children. My answer is to bring back and rebuild our family on Christian values and principles - that is – a prayer to start a day with the children and a thanksgiving prayer in the evening every day Bring back our children to Sunday School and the church because as it is stated in the Bible - if we train up a child in the way he should go he will never depart from it. The answer is parents must lead by example to nurture and to guide.

Lupepe Simati, 52, Foailalo

There is too much happening to our youth of today and it all starts from the family. If our family’s foundations are shaken from the beginning, then this will flow from generation to generation like a cycle that has no end. Parents must be well alert that what we sow, we will reap it tomorrow. The answer to the problem is that the government needs to look into all these problems, maybe these families are still living a very poor life. To these poor families where most of these youths were from, education is not the way to success to their lives it’s the little they earn from selling Chinese products that is the matter – for them to buy 2lbs of rice for food every day. The parents don’t care much about their children and that’s why they end up on the street and create lots of violent crimes.

Elisapeta Asiata, 60, Ululoloa

They (youth) need spiritual strength. How?, We need to lead them to Christ, we need to pray for our youth every day In doing so, we need to come together in one heart and spirit. How many times we’ve tried, how many programmes, seminars, workshop launching to avoid problems facing our youths, sadly, at the end of the day – we have failed, for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world. Yes, only Jesus can save our youth and He’s the answer. ‘O lau tatalo ma la’u tatalo leoleoa e manuia ai a tatou fanau mo a taeao’

Lote Fonoti, 40, Malie 

The answer is when parents didn’t give up on their children before their youth and never stop praying and believing because He who is in us – that is God - is greater than he – devil- who is in the world. Nowadays,  Sunday School on Sunday is something that most of the parents are failing to remember unlike back in the days If we didn’t go to Sunday School , we all know the answer from our parents – is the broom. Today, parents don’t send their children to Sunday School or church they let them do what they want and gave them telephones to play with, television to watch movies, let them do their homework alone, they don’t even care what kind of movies they’re watching, what they’re writing, not knowing that at the same time they’re sowing something into their children’s lives and that’s why when they grow we find it too hard to solve the problems.

13 June 2016, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

Upgrade to Premium

Subscribe to
Samoa Observer Online

Enjoy unlimited access to all our articles on any device + free trial to e-Edition. You can cancel anytime.

>