Renowned Malawian prophet Shepherd Bushiri has delivered a blunt and uncomfortable message to the country's youth, warning that pride, excuses and laziness are silently destroying their future.
His message comes at a time when millions of young Malawians are trapped in unemployment, rising living costs and shrinking opportunities. For many, the biggest barrier is not lack of work, but the fear of starting small and doing humble jobs.
Across the country, university graduates are sitting idle at home, rejecting informal or low-paying work because it does not match their qualifications. Instead of gaining experience, they choose to wait for "big jobs" that may never come.
In a post shared on his Facebook page, Bushiri did not sugarcoat his words. He challenged young people to face reality and rethink their mindset about work, money and success.
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"Pride is expensive and if you're broke, you cannot pay for it. You cannot be too big to learn, too proud to start small, too shy to sell, too selective to work," Bushiri wrote.
He said many young people want a successful life but refuse to take the first steps that actually lead there.
"You say, 'I can't do that kind of job.' But you also say you need money. Which one do you really want? Image? Or income?" he asked.
Bushiri's message struck a nerve because it reflects a real crisis in Malawi -- a generation full of dreams but unwilling to go through struggle, patience and discipline.
One of his followers, Mahera Msokwa, shared a personal story that clearly shows the cost of humility and hard work.
"This reminds me of the time I used to pluck tobacco from people's farms as piecework just to earn something for my school fees," he wrote.
"The time I used to carry bags of fertiliser on my shoulders at Luwinga Smallholders just to contribute something towards the budget of those who were raising me.
"It's unfortunate that most young people today try to use shortcuts to success."
Bushiri says there is no shortcut to real success. He argues that people must be willing to learn, fail, sweat and start from zero before they can rise.
He also revealed that his upcoming book, which is currently being prepared for publication, focuses on teaching young people to treat their lives as capital -- something they must invest wisely through discipline, sacrifice and action.
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The core of Bushiri's message is simple but painful: in a tough economy, pride is a luxury most people cannot afford. And those who refuse to work small today may remain poor tomorrow, not because they lack potential, but because they refused to begin.
