In this interview, Dário Camal, diplomat, entrepreneur, writer, among other qualities, takes an X-ray of the importance of the International Youth Day, youth leadership, entrepreneurship, and the current stage of the job market.
Profile – Looking at the motto proposed this year by the National Youth Council, what role can the Youth play in breaking down international barriers and divergences to create a more solidary world?
Dario Camal – I think that this year’s motto was influenced because of the military tensions, the Russia-Ukraine war, and Covid-19. There has never been so much talk about solidarity as there is now, and this is partly a result of a generation that puts one human being in competition with another human being.
We are not creating a world of solidarity because we have lost moral values. Our fathers’ and grandfathers’ generations were not as informed and educated as ours, but they favor values and principles, that’s why this motto becomes relevant.
Profile – Regarding the issue of youth leadership, what stage is our country at and what are the concrete examples to cite?
Dário Camal – I believe that leadership is an innate quality in people. In Africa, if it is not the religions that are growing too much, it is the leadership courses. There is a false paradigm that everyone is going to be an entrepreneur, and I think that a society cannot be formed only by leaders, and this does not take away our value – it does not make one person less important than the other – you can be the CEO of a company and not be a leader, just like you can be the President of the Republic and not be able to command your country.
In Africa particularly, our society and culture oppresses, omits, and discourages young leaders from taking a space because there is fear of youth, with the belief that to maintain power, there must be no inclusion of people stronger than us.
There is no real space that actually encourages youth leadership, and the discourse is always the same: young people are always seen as a problem, and this is associated with supposed marginality, laziness, and lack of vision.
What we have to realize is that there are no opportunities and no system prepared to absorb young people in the labor market. It is clear that an unoccupied young person is more likely to be marginal, frustrated and with negative thoughts, we need to get young people busy.
Profile – How should young people position themselves for the job market?
Dário Camal – With the population growth that we have in Mozambique, it’s not possible to have job openings for so many people. For example, in the last five years of its mandate the Government has not managed to create 300,000 jobs. I’m of the opinion that the greatest wealth of Africa is not mineral resources… the greatest resource Africa has is people.
The continent and the country need labor, so there is no justification, for example, for us to send 1,000 Chinese citizens to come and build a bridge, if the labor is here.
Profile – What is more sustainable between being an entrepreneur and being an employee?
Dário Camal – What I can say is that the future of this country lies in entrepreneurship, but I must take this opportunity to make it clear that most people who consider themselves entrepreneurs are in fact resellers. It must be made clear, being an entrepreneur is about innovation. However, one must recognize the efforts of everyone who does these businesses because they ultimately make a living.
In short, entrepreneurship is the way but it is not the whole solution. So, it’s better to be an entrepreneur and/or retailer than to stand still. If you hate misery, you have to do something to overcome it.
On the other hand, being an employee is complex because the public and private sector together can’t make a balance because of the demographic dividend.
Profile – What are the most strategic sectors for job creation for youth?
Dário Camal – Mozambique is a fertile country, all the sectors are strategic. We have labor for everything in this country. We currently have trained people, informed and with the capacity to lead.
Profile – 1.5% of the Mozambican population has completed higher education. Do you think that having more and more young people graduating from higher education can add value in the implementation of various socio-economic programs linked to young people?
Dário Camal – It’s not about quantity, but quality. Obviously the country needs educated people, but educated with quality. If we continue to focus on numbers, we are going to continue to have problems because many people who graduate are not prepared for the job market, because of the bad training they undergo.
Profile – What programs do you think should be established to create a business environment that favors and facilitates young entrepreneurs?
Dário Camal – The government of Mozambique should work in a structured and integrated manner to allow for more information, ideas, more absorption of concerns, and a better response in various sectors.
Profile – Do you have any motivational message allusive to the International Youth Day?
Dário Camal – That they continue to seek their opportunities, whether as entrepreneurs or resellers, the country itself is a challenge, but everything depends on us and our capabilities. We are the size of our dreams, it is our responsibility to take Mozambique to a good port.
