By Franck Essi

—

‘Aren’t you afraid?’

‘You know you could get killed?’

‘Don’t you see that you’re jeopardising your future?’

‘Who are you to say and do what you’re doing?’

‘What has changed since you started getting involved?’

‘Who do you think you’re fighting for?’

‘Nothing will change anyway. Keep wasting your time.’

‘Keep having fun! You’ll see what happens to you.’

‘It will soon be too late.’

These are some of the phrases that haunt our minds, whispered by our loved ones or arising from our own fears.

These are the insidious words that seek to extinguish the flame of courage and dignity within us.

It’s time for these voices to stop having power over us.

—

We are not heroes. We don’t want to be.

But we are human beings standing tall, driven by a love of life.

And it is precisely because we know the value of that life that we refuse to bow down to fear, resignation or servile comfort.

What we believe to be impossible, others achieve.

So if not us, who?

If not now, when?

And if we don’t try, what can we hope for?

We are not acting for glory.

We are not acting solely out of indignation.

We act out of loyalty to an ideal, to a vision of Cameroon, of Africa, of the world…

A vision in which we can live upright, free, equal and united.

The external changes we hope for will always begin with internal transformations.

You cannot build a golden society with leaden individuals.

Just structures need just individuals.

And virtuous systems begin with virtuous commitments.

—

As long as we know why we stand up, we will eventually find a way forward.

Fear is human. Discouragement is too.

But courage, true courage, is not the absence of fear.

It is action despite fear.

So let us go forward.

With a firm heart, a clear mind and open hands.

And let’s face the demons of fear and discouragement together.

#WhatIBelieve

#WeHaveTheChoice

#WeHaveThePower

#CitizenshipEducation

#Let’sTurnOnOurBrains