Will poverty end in our generation? What can we all do about it? These are the questions that African citizens discussed with legendary entertainers Femi Kuti and Angelique Kidjo yesterday.

Angelique Kidjo discussed how education changes lives with a group of youth from the Youth-plus Policy Network in Uganda.

During their discussion that was streamed live on facebook, there were several issues that come up; brain drain, early marriages and fighting FGM.

The 3 youth, who are also university graduate from Uganda, agreed that the main reason for the brain drain in the continent was due to culture, bad leadership and the general African setting.

“We need to give the African youth quality education especially those in the mainstream system of education,” said Miriam, a communications for development degree holder.

Angelique added that this continent also needs somebody to campaign and advocate for the education in Africa: “We need highly educated women because we cannot rely on men alone. Education is key, poverty is not glamorous and we all know that women are the backbone of the continent.”

She then asked the youth how they could change the issue of early marriages that are usually common in the African setting.

“Women in Africa don’t have any individual identity, they are owned by their father, who marry them off as they wish.”

It come out that among they key contributions to this was the lack of education on the part of the women and that men too need to be educated on equality issues so that they so not look down on girls.

“We should educate women on their rights so that they will be able to come out in arms to defend their rights” said Ahmed, who has a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science and majored in gender development.

Finally, after Kidjo had talked about her childhood and how she was able to achieve what she has, thanks to her parents educating her and her siblings, the youth concluded that they need to use strategic leaders such as church elders and politicians to help them change the mind set of the people so that Africa is at par with the rest of the world.