Looking at the over 2000 local leaders who, yesterday, completed their civic education course, one cannot fail to notice the youthful enthusiasm they exhibited.

They are the vanguard of good governance, the first window through which the local population gets a glimpse, and in the process, understanding of government programmes designed for their welfare.

Many are still learning the ropes in governance; therefore, the need to be fully equipped before imparting the same to their local communities is paramount.

On their long journey to being tomorrow’s leadership, there will be some ups and downs; some mistakes are bound to occur, but that should not discourage them. A good leader is one who learns from his or her mistakes, who corrects the course to arrive at the final destination.

Many local leaders have failed the test in the past because there was a disconnect between them and the population, they put self above the people they were supposed to serve.

In the process, many social protection programmes such as Mutuelle de Santé (community health insurance) were misused, delayed or derailed: The list is endless.

The grassroots leaders should begin with a checklist of what went wrong under their predecessors’ watch and steer away from that course. As mentioned earlier, they are the first responders to the needs of the people; therefore, they should stay focused on their primordial task of working in the best interests of the people.