Category: The Citizen

Across the continent, a new generation is stepping into rooms their granrents couldn’t enter, but even in these spaces, many are battling an internal ceiling built long before they arrived. Despite their qualifications, creativity, and resilience, they hesitate.

They play small. They over-explain.

They undercharge. Why? Because systems taught them to associate confidence with arrogance and assertiveness with disrespect.

From colonial education models that punished questioning to gender norms that reward silence over strength, African professionals were never just underdeveloped economically; we were underestimated psychologically. In this article I aim to challenge the internalised beliefs and systemic conditioning that make us, especially the younger generation, hesitate to show up fully in professional spaces despite being qualified, creative, and more capable than ever.

I’m not just writing to motivate you; my hope is that this serves as a psychological and cultural intervention designed to spark a mindset shift, validating the lived experience of professionals navigating legacy systems of oppression and limitation. A Unesco study revealed that in many African education systems, rote learning and obedience are prioritised over critical thinking and self-expression, conditioning that stifles confidence from a young age.

According to the African Development Bank, only 23 per cent of African professionals feel empowered to make bold suggestions at work, citing fear of hierarchy and hierarchical respect norms as primary barriers. And gender plays a compounding role.

In a 2022 report by McKinsey Africa, women in African corporate settings are 30 per cent less likely to apply for stretch roles, even when qualified, due to what researchers term “internalised competence doubt.” In other words, our talent isn’t lacking; our permission to believe in it is.

Confidence is not a personality trait. It’s a skill, one that’s been systemically stripped and now must be deliberately rebuilt.

And the confidence I’m referring to doesn’t just mean being the loudest in the room. I mean trusting that your insight has value before it’s validated, especially in systems designed to keep you quiet.

If you’re ready to unlearn the hesitation and step into your boldness, here are four strategies: 1. Audit the source of your self-doubtAsk: Where did I learn to shrink? Self-doubt often comes from somewhere.

A past experience. A critical teacher.

A culture of silence. Ask yourself, where did I learn to hold back? When you identify the origin, you can begin to separate your current reality from old conditioning.

2. Practice visibility without apologySharing your ideas is not self-promotion; it’s participation.

Post your work. Speak up in meetings.

Accept compliments without deflecting them. Visibility is not about ego.

It is a signal that you take your contribution seriously. 3.

Surround yourself with expansive peopleConfidence is social. Spend time with people who see your potential and challenge you to grow.

The more you engage with bold thinkers, the more you start to believe you belong among them. 4.

Redefine boldness as a contribution, not a disruptionEvery time you speak up with insight, you’re not interrupting the system; you’re upgrading it. When you offer a new idea or challenge the status quo, you are not causing trouble.

You are creating progress. Systems don’t improve when everyone agrees.

Remember, when you reclaim boldness, you don’t just change your career; you rewrite what leadership looks like on this continent. .

Kibaha. Out of 30 participants, 10 coaches have successfully passed an internationally recognised Taekwondo coaching course.

The course, held at the Olympafrica Centre in Kibaha, Coast Region, was conducted by Jun Cheol Yoon from the World Taekwondo Federation. Dr Yoon, who also serves as the Chairman of World Taekwondo referees, said he was impressed by the steady improvement in technical skills and tactics among the coaches during the training.

“Passing or failing depends on performance, but I must commend all the coaches for their effort. Each one of them fought hard from day one, even after I warned them about the toughness of the training.

Right now, every graduate is in pain, but it is productive pain. You are not leaving here the same as you came–your technical and tactical levels have improved,” said Dr Yoon.

He added that in the first week he observed that each trainee had unique strengths that could contribute to the development of Taekwondo. Of the participants, 10 coaches managed to pass the entry-level stage of the program, which was organized by the Tanzania Olympic Committee (TOC), sponsored by the International Olympic Committee’s Olympic Solidarity (OS) and coordinated by the Tanzania Taekwondo Federation (TTF).

TTF President Ramoudh Ally described the achievement as a major boost for the sport’s growth in the country. “If these 10 qualified coaches each establish a Taekwondo club in their areas and recruit 30 players, we will gain 300 new athletes.

That’s a promising start for the development of our sport,” said Ally. He encouraged the coaches to reach out to the Federation for support with training equipment if needed.

Ally said that the ultimate goal is to prepare the next generation of Taekwondo athletes capable of qualifying for the 2032 Olympic Games, through short-, medium- and long-term plans. For those who did not meet the passing grade, Ally assured that arrangements would be made for them to access additional international courses through the World Taekwondo Federation.

“We will issue an update soon, as the goal is to increase the number of certified coaches. Those who passed will be issued national coaching licenses while awaiting approval of licenses from the World Taekwondo Federation,” he said.

Closing the program, TOC Vice Chairman Henry Tandau urged the graduates to apply their knowledge for the betterment of the sport. “We must ask ourselves, where will Taekwondo be 10 years from now? If you have a vision and work towards it, such as preparing for the 2032 Olympics, you can achieve it,” he said.

Tandau, however, cautioned that the success of only 10 coaches is not enough. He urged them to pursue higher levels of qualification.

“You must be ambitious. Whenever I attend major tournaments, I don’t see many Tanzanian coaches or referees.

We must organize ourselves. Without proper planning, you cannot progress,” he stressed.

One of the graduates, Janeth Oscar from Dar es Salaam, expressed appreciation for the training program, which was delivered by Grandmaster Yoon alongside Master David Samson. “The program was transformative.

We will put the skills we have gained into practice, although Taekwondo still faces challenges such as a shortage of equipment and lack of modern training halls,” she said. During the course, Dr.

Yoon highlighted Rashid Yahaya Rashid as a coach who displayed exceptional performance. .