During my time at the university, I attended several conferences, mostly on finance and entrepreneurship, which inspired me greatly. Empowered by the knowledge I gained, I started saving early, right after graduating and during my national service. The money I saved proved very helpful after my national service, as it was used as an investment. Unlike most of my colleagues who dismissed the monthly national service stipend as insignificant, I chose to save it.
They squandered everything, and some even borrowed money in advance, using their next pay as collateral. It's all about financial literacy, a skill that many people lack. Any amount can grow over time, and it's a matter of saving and seeking out good investment options. Every year in Ghana, about 600,000 plus students graduate from university, adding to the already large pool of unemployed youth.
Securing a job is challenging, as the existing opportunities mostly consist of government institutions that cannot possibly absorb such a high number of unemployed youth. Anytime I look at the soaring numbers of youth unemployment, I only see a lack of empowerment as the cause of all the menace. Schools have their part to play, as well as several other stakeholders, including the government.
While the government often receives the brunt of the blame, providing the right education about finance and business, along with the necessary information, would be the right approach. Additionally, creating an enabling environment where, after receiving their education, individuals can be supported in building their own ventures is crucial.
Having been in our school system and understanding the crucial role of empowerment in education, I was genuinely pleased when our efforts led us to introduce the Hive blockchain to students. Last year, we held our first conference , which @mcsamm and I funded ourselves using our earnings from Hive. We were deeply inspired by the journey we began on the blockchain in 2017, which opened doors to numerous opportunities.
Today, many young people lack the knowledge needed to navigate the digital economy, hindering them from accessing numerous opportunities. I've come across individuals who have already started online businesses even without initial capital. Engaging in entrepreneurial ventures within the tech space is no longer uncommon, and the Hive platform serves as a prime example.
It showcases how individuals can leverage blockchain technology for various activities, including app development, gaming, business promotion, project building, content creation for monetization, and more.
These are all opportunities that the Hive blockchain has presented, yet not many people have discovered them yet. Our endeavors of reaching out to university students are about empowerment, seeking to give them the exposure needed to discover opportunities and leverage them to their advantage.
I don't see why a student of computer science should be at home after school when there are countless technological opportunities online they could explore. We believe that through proper engagement, we can lead many to discover what they have been missing out on online. This is why the tech conference has become an advantageous forum for participating students. We are hosting the second edition, financed by @valueplan, on the 9th of March at KNUST in Kumasi, Ghana.
With the expertise of various speakers on subjects including Web3 and blockchain, tech entrepreneurship, and the Hive blockchain ecosystem, we believe it will be a great forum for knowledge sharing, collaboration, and networking that leads to the discovery of more opportunities. Hive will empower many lives, and this event will be one of many contributing to that.