Media Personality and host of 'The Standpoint', Oheneyere Gifty Anti, says youth mentoring must be prioritised in Ghana's developmental agenda.

She was speaking with Rev. Albert Ocran as part of the Engine Room series on Springboard, Your Virtual University on Joy FM.

According to Oheneyere, many youths are impatient and confused in trying to reconcile the achievements of their mentors with their own realities.

"The youth see so many things, have access to so many things, but we have very few people telling them the true stories that life is a process. That, we did not just get up to get here, that even those who were born with golden spoons in their mouths still have to work to sustain and grow their businesses", she spoke passionately.

Gifty Anti is of the view that the youth must be told: "that it takes a lot of sacrifices, sleepless nights, hard work to water whatever they want to grow."

"We need to tell them, to guide and prepare them", she added.

Below are the lessons from Oheneyere Gifty Anti's interview with Rev. Albert Ocran.

Inspiration and Sacrifice - My main inspiration growing up was to make my father happy. I saw the many sacrifices he made and wanted to give him something in return.

Legacy - I am always conscious of leaving a legacy. I want my daughter to grow up proud of what I have done. It puts me under pressure and influences everything I do.

Mentorship - I benefited from the tough mentoring of people like Liz Hayfron Asare in my days at Ghanaian Times. She still reaches out to me even now.

Social Media - It can be really challenging when you post something to encourage a vulnerable person, and someone else deliberately misrepresents it to trend.

Emotional Pressures - There can be emotional pressures as people design your life to suit their needs or expectations. Be true to yourself and stay focused.

Regrets - After a great O’Levels, I lost my way and ended up with a weak A’ Levels, largely due to misplaced priorities and wrong relationships. It made me even more resolute.

Youth Confusion - Many youths are impatient and confused in trying to reconcile the achievements of their mentors with their own realities.  Youth mentoring must be prioritised in our national development effort.

Profitable Labour - I engaged in hawking and carpentry along the line to raise funds for my education. I try to do everything I do with ‘swag’ so I didn’t find it shameful at all.

Lifelong Learning - I continue to learn from every situation even now and, in everything I do, I seek to become a better person.

Cultural awareness - I have had to make many lifestyle changes as a chief’s wife. You can call them lessons of ‘Oheneyereship’. Our culture has important lessons for societal preservation.