By: Ricardo Johnson, Youth Coordinator, Athlone YMCA, South Africa
Research and analysis suggests that the youth today are, through the growing rate of poverty, greatly susceptible to socio-economic concerns such as substance abuse, joblessness, unhealthy lifestyles, crime and a low sense of self-worth (South African Department of Social Services and Poverty alleviation). It seems that many of South Africa’s youth have lost faith and have been led to believe that they have few options and are doomed to repeat the cycle of poverty.
As a result of this, the youth now tend to exclude themselves from the process of change and feel a sense of entitlement about their futures. As Professor Brian O'Connell, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Western Cape explains, "we seem to believe that we all have the right to have our future secured by the State without our [needing to make] a strong contribution. We seem, as a nation or an organisation (young men and women), to have removed ourselves as agents from the process of our nation building".
This presents one of the biggest problems for youth leaders today. If we are to be effective in empowering youth, the South African YMCA needs to play a vital role in advocacy development and become key strategic actors in our communities. The role of mentorship is crucial to achieve this, especially in the areas in which I work, which are typified by gangs, drugs, crime and lack of respect for others and the self. But what does mentoring involve and how should mentoring of youth be approached?
Mentorship is generally about coaching or assisting people in tasks where young people can see or interpret the reality of life or society through the eyes of someone more experienced and trained to deal with the situation.
Stephan Mayers, Christian author and leadership, mentorship trainer, suggests as a definition for mentorship: “Mentoring is someone imparting an aspect of their life to another that encourages growth. It means that mentoring involves an intentional relationship in which a mentor imparts knowledge, skills or values from their experience to a person or group of people they believe in, who are teachable and responsible and desire to develop their potential.”
To quote an isiZulu saying “umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu”, which means "a person is a person through a person". This African maxim helps us to understand the essential role each person can play to empower another. If we want to build the civic competence of young people in our organisation in terms of leadership development, they need the input of the mentors to guide, coach and empower them.
For some people I work with, mentorship comes with a deep emotional connection. Daniel Daniels, a volunteer in the Athlone YMCA’s youth department and mentee, believes that mentorship represents a deep trust between people. “From my experience, a mentor goes the extra mile, walks alongside you, listens, and gives advice to assist you to make positive decisions that will affect your life”. Speaking of the benefits of mentorship in his life, he said, “To be mentored or at least to reap the benefits of it, is to decide how things will benefit me. What will I be able to see and gain at the end of the day and how will it affect those around me positively? So how have I benefitted? I have gained self-confidence; I seek advice before making decisions; I am flexible, adjustable, and clear thinking”.
But mentorship is not only about the transfer of knowledge or skills from the mentor. It is important that mentors listen, adapt and learn from those they work with and this is so often missing from a mentoring relationship. As Gil Harper, Executive Secretary for the Africa Alliance of YMCA’s states, “It is important to engage in reverse-mentoring where our mentee’s life and work experience enriches our own. I place great value on what I learn from my mentees – their thoughts, views, ideas. I draw a lot of my insight on youth issues from my mentees, which improves my own work. This, in itself, is incredibly empowering for mentees as they see their ideas valued by a mentor and integrated into the mentor’s work.”
Well conducted reverse-mentoring leads to the development of a good understanding of leadership and, indeed, enhances the leadership skills of the mentor as well as develops the leadership potential of the mentee.
The mentoring relationship needs to be approached with respect and caution. When developing a mentoring relationship it is tempting to sometimes do or give too much which does not help the mentee to develop and become self-reliant. For me, it is important to have clear boundaries of what you can and cannot do for the mentee and that they accept these boundaries and understand why they exist.
By: Gil Harper, Executive Secretary: Communications, Africa Alliance of YMCAs
School learners’ grades have improved substantially through involvement in the South Africa YMCA Y-Zone after-care programme which offers holistic development of participants.
Cape Town YMCA specifically approached schools to work with 30 learners who were struggling with their school work. Through homework supervision and life-skills to enhance self-esteem at the Kraaifontein Y-Zone, grades improved to such an extent that all learners passed their exams last year.
“In September last year, the learners presented their school progress reports and they were all challenged to set themselves targets of what symbols they wanted to work towards by year end. They all did an extra 10 hours tuition per week through the Y-Zones. By year end, 100% of them improved on their September scores and 80% of them actually achieved their personal goals,” said Llowellyn Syce, Chief Executive Officer, YMCA Cape Town.
According to Syce, learners have also matured through the programme, their self-esteem has improved and all have shown improved reading.
Ten Y-Zones across the country are located at YMCA premises which are in areas where these young people are exposed to high risk.
“Children come to us at the age of 6 and we provide them with a safe environment where we develop their potential. By the time they leave the programme at 18, their risk to vulnerability has been substantially reduced and their leadership skills developed,” said Sipho Sokhela, National General Secretary, South Africa YMCA.
Taking place daily, the current Y-Zones serve 1 620 school learners and are run by 24 staff members and 62 volunteers. Activities include:
• Homework supervision
• Life skills
• Performing arts
• Computer skills
• Sport
• Outings/excursions
• Spiritual development
While these activities were offered by different YMCAs to varying degrees, in the last two years, the SA YMCA movement has focused much attention on developing the Y-Zone brand as a strong programme offering to school learners. This involved developing common programming and best practices.
“The Y-Zone is a vital force in the formative years, ensuring its young participants are able to develop in spite of the circumstances of their communities and homes. They are prepared for life, leadership and service,” said Sokhela.
The Kraaifontein Y-Zone is proving so successful and popular, that current members want to bring new members to the programme, and the YMCA is receiving requests to join from other learners. This now necessitates a move to another venue to expand the current programme and is the present focus of this particular Y-Zone.
Photo: Y-Zones provide a holistic after-care programme to assist learners reach their potential.
By: Christine Davis, Director, Africa Alliance of YMCAs volunteer
The 20th anniversary of the prison release of former South African President Nelson Mandela allowed for a brief period of introspection for many South Africans and marked the date of a fundamental shift in South African politics and social order. A hallmark of all revolutionary rhetoric, thought and action is the struggle of a few for the betterment of the generations to come. Often that struggle occurs with the understanding that the youth may not fully appreciate the sacrifices of those before them. On the 20th anniversary of Mandela’s release, how then do the African youth of today understand and perceive the rights afforded to them through the pain and struggle of an older generation? What do the youth understand of their freedoms if they were not directly involved in the sacrifices needed to attain them?
Lindo Mbatha, secretary of the KwaZulu-Natal Regional Youth Committee and member of the Beatrice Street YMCA, in reflecting upon the place of youth in a democratic South Africa, believes that the 20th anniversary serves to act as a conscious reminder to value our history and the people who represent those qualities we should aspire to. For Mbatha, the day “provided me with a few important things I have to learn from Madiba (Mandela): humble character, a forgiving heart, unselfish lifestyle and purposeful actions”. For him freedom exists in knowing that “no ideas are imposed on the youth” and that we are “free to choose our life careers/professions and free to associate with any groupings. We are free to be part of the generation that looks beyond racial issues to the roles we can play as individuals.” For the youth then, the remaining difficulty is not in achieving access to rights, but instead, according to Mbatha, in “knowing how to positively express the freedoms they have”.
Neliswa Hlombe, South Africa YMCA volunteer, argues that distinctions need to be drawn within the youth’s understanding of their freedoms, “South African youth definitely have more freedom, but freedom of movement is different from the freedom of the mind. We are still mentally trapped in the after effects of apartheid. This is obvious in the way we address certain issues in our life, and how comfortable we are around certain people.” Hlombe further believes that freedom is limited by our cultural understanding of issues such as gender and sexuality, and by the lack of awareness the youth have of the opportunities available to them. For Hlombe, there is a vital need in a democratic South Africa “for youth representation with no hidden political agenda” to ensure that the youth are not subject to political control.
The ongoing AAYMCA’s Subject to Citizen project (S2C) is designed to meet this need. Not only will it prevent the indoctrination and manipulation of youth into potentially exploitative political agenda’s but will also ensure the development of necessary leadership skills for democratic development. For Mbatha, “young people who are exposed to various leadership roles will be prepared to take responsibility for the assigned leadership roles that they will be places into.”
Perceiving the 20th anniversary of Mandela’s release through the eyes of South African youth ultimately serves to remind older generations that political struggle continues not in the attainment of rights, but rather the education of those rights and in allocating the spaces the youth need to explore and develop their own concepts of citizenship.
Photo source: www.peacebuttons.info
By: Diane Pieters, South Africa YMCA
In celebration of the life-changing work being done with young people around South Africa, the SA YMCA has launched an initiative in which we are recruiting Ambassadors for the movement.
SA YMCA Ambassadors are a notable group of individuals who are committed and inspired by the work of the YMCA and want to contribute towards this important work. SA YMCA Ambassadors share our passion to empower young people for life, leadership and service. They are people who want to make a positive contribution towards making a difference in the lives of young people in South African local YMCAs.
An Ambassador does any (or all) of the following:
- Contributes financially towards our work (either to the movement as a whole or to a specific local YMCA);
- Helps to recruit others – for example, by hosting a ‘friendraiser’; and
- Shares the YMCA story with others and leverages support.
Benefits of being an official ambassador for the SA YMCA: - Opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of young people - empowering them for life, leadership and service
- Personal fulfilment and satisfaction
- Invitations to events and functions for Ambassadors
- Recognition of contribution and involvement
For more information about this initiative, please contact: ambassador(at)saymca.org.za
By: Gil Harper, Executive Secretary: Communications, Africa Alliance of YMCAs
The upcoming African YMCA Youth Summit will focus on African youth claiming their space and influencing for positive transformation in the continent. Participants are raising USD1000 each towards their delegate costs, as part of their leadership development.
Aimed at building the civic competence of youth, the Summit, to be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 28 October to 5 November, will focus on the youth crisis in Africa. The 50-80 youth participants will analyse root causes of the crisis and will be equipped with skills to act as change agents in their countries and collectively in Africa.
Ricky Johnson, South African youth representative, is almost at the half-way mark in terms of his fundraising and says he has been so enriched by the process. Staff youth coordinator.
“It is so different to work for something, rather than just being handed the ticket to attend the Summit. I really feel like I ‘own’ what we are doing as I have had to work so hard to raise money. I have learnt so much in terms of strategising and planning different approaches and understanding the different target groups I am asking for donations,” said Ricky, who is the Youth Coordinator at Athlone YMCA.
Ricky has used the direct approach, started a group on Facebook, hosted a board games evening and held a ‘youth coffee bar’ evening where he charged an entrance fee and the event involved youth testimonies. His next big event is a ‘mystery dinner’ planned for beginning of August.
Samukele Ngubane, the other South African youth representative, said that fundraising for the event has contributed towards her personal growth.
“As a volunteer, I will never again look at how my financial contribution can be taken care of, but now I look at what contribution I can make. The anticipation about participating in the event is far greater than the worry of raising the money – that I will do.
“I have found that people will give money to an organisation they find credible. People know about the YMCA and so I have had the opportunity to do much marketing about the work we do and tell people about the concept of subject to citizen, and give them the Alliance’s website address. This has led to many discussions, even in my office environment which is multi-faith, and we have spoken about the value of working together for youth development,” said Samukele, who is a youth volunteer for the Amanzimtoti YMCA.
Youth representatives in The Gambia and Senegal have also made great strides in mobilising resources for their delegate fees, according to Carlos Sanvee, General Secretary of the Africa Alliance after his recent trip to these national movements.
Using the ‘subject to citizen’ concept at the Summit, youth will engage in a variety of sessions to build competence on voice, space and the ability to influence. Perhaps the most important foundation for African youth in this process, is the subjective competence: the belief in young people that they can change their current realities – ‘yes we can’. From this, skills to articulate views and opinions can be aquired, and tools can be learnt to create the ability to influence decision-making at a local to continental level. Individual participant action plans will be developed, as well as country plans for rolling out the subject to citizen project throughout African countries in which the YMCA operates.
The Africa Alliance encourages other youth delegates to mobilise resources for their participation and to share the lessons and successes in doing so. We also invite our partners and stakeholders to share this journey with us as we embark on this subject to citizen project in Africa.
A key issue under discussion will be the African Youth Charter and how youth can advocate for its implementation at country level. The Africa Alliance met with the African Union recently during a visit to Ethiopia to discuss the importance of youth involvement in this process. It is expected that the African Union will play a role in the Summit, especially in terms of equipping youth with tools for advocacy on the Charter.
“I am hoping to come back with a plan to implement at national level in South Africa and in my local community. I am looking forward to gaining the skills to engage youth on moving from being subjects to citizens,” said Samukele.
Photo: Samukele Ngubane, South African Youth Summit Representative
To top
By: Christine Davis, Media 4 Change
The sound of vuvuzelas, chanting, jeers and cheers will pervade South Africa for the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup next June. It will bring with it, an influx of cash from the estimated 500,000 international visitors who will move through the hotels, bars, restaurants and tourist attractions and has already injected much needed income into South Africa's infrastructural development. It is all too easy to see the positive ramifications of the Soccer World Cup’s presence in Africa, and it is easier still to ignore the negative influences this event will have on the most vulnerable of Africa's citizens.
The price of this gift will be high for many. Whereas South Africa has been quick to respond to the Fifa delegation’s needs to ensure a successful inter-national sporting event, human rights activists argue that there is little response or even acknowledgement of the impact this event will have on human rights violations in the region.
“Specifically of concern, is the potential increase of child labour and human trafficking into and throughout South Africa during this period,” said Carlos Sanvee, General Secretary of the Africa Alliance of YMCAs, which has begun to develop programmes in the Southern African YMCAs to focus on youth masculinity.
In a joint workshop hosted by the Gender AIDS Forum (GAF) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in February 2009, human rights activists strongly stressed the need for urgent policies and necessary preventative measures.
Their concerns are well founded. South Africa's positioning as one of the strongest and most developed economies in Africa has not automatically ensured that necessary legislation and civil practices exist to safeguard against human trafficking and labour abuses. South Africa still does not have a legal definition of human trafficking in common law or statute. While international researchers debate the potential increase international events such as the Olympics and Soccer World Cup will have on human trafficking, South Africa remains extremely vulnerable to this threat purely from its legislatively slow response to this potential international crisis.
In an interview with Independent News's Vivian Attwood, IOM's KZN office organiser, Bongiwe Mlatsha, pointed out, "Despite our reputation for being a developed country, women, children and men, too, are being brought here from destabilised, vulnerable countries like Zimbabwe, the DRC and Angola, and exploited in a variety of ways. Primarily this involves sex, but some are also sold into slavery on farms and elsewhere."
Zambian researcher, Merab Kambamu Kiremire, further explained to AllAfrica.com that trafficking in the South African sex industry has continued for years and currently, cross-border criminal gangs have been preparing to take advantage of the massive demand for sex tourism from international travellers. According to Kiremire's estimates, 500 human trafficking criminal gangs are already operating in South Africa and this number is set to increase as the event draws nearer.
Attempts to address human trafficking are made even more difficult because of the nature of the problem. Human trafficking exists in a world of illegal migratory practices and most caught in the snare are unable or unwilling to seek help from unsympathetic authorities as they risk almost certain repatriation. In essence then, victims are deported while the perpetrators go unhindered which does little to limit the extent of the problem.
Only time will be the judge of the Soccer World Cup's impact on South Africa, but if efforts are not made to provide legal mechanisms to address human trafficking, then South Africa may be remembered as a country that appears to place national pride and spirit over the protection and health of Africa's women and children.
Photo: IOM poster
To top
 - The winning group, iSinamuva Productions
By: Neliswa Hlombe, South African YMCA volunteer
Youth challenges and family relationships was the theme of the winning drama production in the Durban Y-Zone Battle of the Townships community drama festival to celebrate youth month.
Isinamuva Productions from Lindelani township took first place amongst the seven groups that were competing at Stable theatre yesterday . They were followed by Ikhwezi Arts project and Ubuntu Besizwe productions who were placed second and third .
The aim of the event was to reach different communities and work with youth through performance arts. Many young people have talents and skills but lack exposure so we wanted to create a platform for exposure and showcasing their skills and talents. Performing arts allows youth to express their views on issues affecting them. Through drama, they tackle social problems, how they deal with them, and their ideas on solutions.
An important aspect of the event was that it was initiated and coordinated by youth themselves, from Durban Y-Zone, the aftercare programme of the Durban YMCA, which offers arts and drama, life skills, sports and a homework centre.
“Performing arts is losing its popularity, so this event is very important because it gets youth involved at a young age,” said Mr Zefu Nzama, one of the judges at the event. The other judges were Thabani Mahlobo and Muzi Mhlamga. All three judges have an illustrious career in the performing arts industry.
“I think this event was successful in involving so many youth from the different township areas and it shows there is hope if there are still young people with such talent and skills. Exposing the different groups is also good as it keeps young people away from doing bad things.” Winner of the best actor award, Theo Felix Shandu, said, ‘’This day is like a dream come true for me.
My character was showing that in life you will come to a crossroad, where you have to choice the direction you want your life to take. It’s important that you make the right decision and persevere on it.
"My character also teaches us to never give up. Personally, I have had problems in the past and my director assisted me and got me back on track. Theatre is my life, my future career and I see a lot of things ahead of me.’’
Best actress, Nomthandazo Maphanga, said, “My character showed that there are different ways people can get HIV other then sex, as she contracted it from a car accident where people’s blood were mixed. It reminds us to stop discriminating against people with HIV/AIDS.’’
Her message to the youth was “stay away from things that can get you into trouble or ruin your future and spend your time in a good way like theatre, soccer clubs, and volunteer work.”
The theme of the winning drama Sinamuva Production showed a typical scenario faced by youth when their parents pass away and they are left to take of themselves and their younger siblings .The drama also emphasised the importance of a home, and that there is no place like it. “There are small things that we look for as judges in a production and for this one had a story that was believable and easy to follow. They had moments in they play that stood out and they had an overall theme. They had a story to tell and they told it beautifully.
“I would like to extend my gratitude to the YMCA as they have done a wonderful job, through this event, we saw that youth can really do things for themselves if given a platform,” said Mr Nzama.
To top
By: Gil Harper, Executive Secretary: Communications, Africa Alliance of YMCAs
“All our youth are at risk – some are just at higher risk.” During the launch of South Africa YMCA’s campaign to empower young leaders by unlocking the potential of youth at risk – one young leader at a time, this statement was made by Dr Bonga Chiliza, Chairperson of SAYMCA.
Those in the high risk bracket are our young people who have little or no access to basic human rights such as rights to safety, education, food and a home (or even shelter). This risk increases if they are growing up in poverty-stricken or violent communities or homes. These children and youth are at risk for becoming either the perpetrators or victims of neglect, violence and abuse.
They risk becoming lost in a system which overlooks their needs, and often fall between the cracks in the social service and justice system.
“Our focus on youth development takes various aspects into account. This includes prevention, advocacy and awareness-raising, rehabilitation, reintegration and our current Y-Zone programme campaign, which provides children and youth with safe spaces to develop, give them tools to minimise and manage risks in their lives and provide them with the opportunity to unlock their potential as leaders,” said Rev Sipho Sokhela, National General Secretary of the SAYMCA.
Last year the KwaZulu-Natal Student Y was active in lobbying for the re-introduction of the Child Justice Bill in South Africa, working with a network of NGOs and making representations in parliament during public hearings. After the Bill was passed, the Student Y embarked on an awareness-raising campaign in their communities to ensure that the rights and responsibilities outlined in this Bill are fully understood on the ground. They are also working with role players involved in the implementation of the Bill.
The Student Y also conducted a series of surveys in the communities to establish reasons why youth are involved in criminal activities. Against the backdrop of poverty and unemployment, two key themes emerged. The youth surveyed, spoke of comparing themselves to their peers who are more well-off financially, and of yearning for goods and products advertised. They said they engage in crime for quick cash to buy things “to catch up with their mates at school”. Also cited as a reason for crime was that they have too much spare time, due to a lack of recreational and sporting facilities and activities, and so they give in to temptation.
The Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal regions both work with youth in prison. Youth workers conduct literacy programmes and facilitate personal development and lifeskills programmes in the prisons. “Recently, prison wardens have even begun attending sessions. This is a great achievement for us as they are seeing the value in the programme and actually want to be part of it, which goes way beyond their facilitating role,” said Melinda Becchus, Coordinator of the Western Cape.
In KwaZulu-Natal, the Amanzimtoti YMCA’s Sakhithemba Half-way House provides ex-offenders and youth from places of safety with an 18-month reintegration programme. With a 90% success rate, Sakhithemba works with these youth intensively on an individual and group basis, providing the space for personal development, the means for obtaining school and tertiary education as well as learning or improving trade skills, and entrepreneur and job opportunities during and after the programme.
This YMCA also established community groups of ex-offenders and assists them with similar skills. Further, community engagement is aimed at removing the stigma of being an ex-offender and to assist in family and community reintegration. The Western Cape YMCAs also work intensively with the communities around reintegration, particularly with parent groups of offenders and ex-offenders.
Of the 13 Western Cape ex-offenders in the YMCA programme who were released in September 2008, none have broken parole conditions and all are volunteering in some way at the YMCA.
“Some have shared their life experiences during YMCA camps and others are involved in the personal development programmes in the schools. One of the youth is studying at university, others are employed and one has started a leather workshop for homeless youth,” said Nkosinathi Buyana, youth worker.
The KwaZulu-Natal region and Durban YMCA work with street youth (from 16 upwards) as many organisations stop working with street children once they turn 18. Working with uMthombo (which works with street children), the two organisations occupy a building to provide two inter-related programmes: Safe Space for children and Life Space for the older group.
“A major achievement was when the team met with the ‘generals’ of the 26s and 28s gangs – the first time a meeting was held with both. The importance of this meeting cannot be underestimated because one of our greatest challenges is serving both groups at the centre due to fierce rivalry between the two groups: the 28s would not join the project as the Centre is in 26 territory and the 26s would not allow the 28s into 26 territory. The outcome of the meeting was positive in that both groups have committed to participating in the project,” said Derick Houston, KwaZulu-Natal Regional Director.
Much emphasis is placed on awareness-raising and prevention activities. In the Western Cape, the YMCA runs regular crime awareness community campaigns, involving police services, government and NGOs. The youth themselves are very involved in these campaigns, especially in dramatising issues affecting them.
Crucial to measuring the success of our impact is the presence of youth clubs in the schools and the communities. “Many of these young people have been involved in gangs, crime and drugs and the youth clubs give them the opportunity to turn their lives around. In Mitchell’s Plain, the Youth Ambassadors Youth Club has recently voted committee members to handle tasks such as fundraising, events and public relations and this model is being encouraged in the other youth clubs.In schools, our peer educators themselves develop and implement projects and campaigns in the schools – talking directly amongst each other about their fears, challenges and ways to live a healthier lifestyle,” said Melinda.
The current SAYMCA campaign involves extending the capacity and facilities of the existing Y-Zones and developing new ones. Y-Zones are after-school programmes located at YMCA premises which are in areas where these young people are exposed to high risk. Children enter the programme at 6 and exit at 18, during which time their vulnerability to risk has been reduced and their leadership skills developed.
The Y-Zone offers four components: education, sports, arts and drama and lifeskills. The programme is crucial in the formative years to ensure that these young people are given the opportunity to develop in spite of the circumstances of their communities and homes.
“Our campaign focusing on the Y-Zones is aimed at unlocking the potential of the children and youth who are at risk and providing them with the opportunity to become leaders – an opportunity that they would otherwise not have,” said Sipho.
“We already have a strong partnership with the provincial and local government and are now pursuing business partnerships to ensure we are successful at building the future of our country’s social capital.”
The Student Y also conducted a series of surveys in the communities to establish reasons why youth are involved in criminal activities. Against the backdrop of poverty and unemployment, two key themes emerged. The youth surveyed, spoke of comparing themselves to their peers who are more well-off financially, and of yearning for goods and products advertised. They said they engage in crime for quick cash to buy things “to catch up with their mates at school”. Also cited as a reason for crime was that they have too much spare time, due to a lack of recreational and sporting facilities and activities, and so they give in to temptation.
The Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal regions both work with youth in prison. Youth workers conduct literacy programmes and facilitate personal development and lifeskills programmes in the prisons. “Recently, prison wardens have even begun attending sessions. This is a great achievement for us as they are seeing the value in the programme and actually want to be part of it, which goes way beyond their facilitating role,” said Melinda Becchus, Coordinator of the Western Cape.
In KwaZulu-Natal, the Amanzimtoti YMCA’s Sakhithemba Half-way House provides ex-offenders and youth from places of safety with an 18-month reintegration programme. With a 90% success rate, Sakhithemba works with these youth intensively on an individual and group basis, providing the space for personal development, the means for obtaining school and tertiary education as well as learning or improving trade skills, and entrepreneur and job opportunities during and after the programme.
This YMCA also established community groups of ex-offenders and assists them with similar skills. Further, community engagement is aimed at removing the stigma of being an ex-offender and to assist in family and community reintegration. The Western Cape YMCAs also work intensively with the communities around reintegration, particularly with parent groups of offenders and ex-offenders.
Of the 13 Western Cape ex-offenders in the YMCA programme who were released in September 2008, none have broken parole conditions and all are volunteering in some way at the YMCA.
“Some have shared their life experiences during YMCA camps and others are involved in the personal development programmes in the schools. One of the youth is studying at university, others are employed and one has started a leather workshop for homeless youth,” said Nkosinathi Buyana, youth worker.
The KwaZulu-Natal region and Durban YMCA work with street youth (from 16 upwards) as many organisations stop working with street children once they turn 18. Working with uMthombo (which works with street children), the two organisations occupy a building to provide two inter-related programmes: Safe Space for children and Life Space for the older group.
“A major achievement was when the team met with the ‘generals’ of the 26s and 28s gangs – the first time a meeting was held with both. The importance of this meeting cannot be underestimated because one of our greatest challenges is serving both groups at the centre due to fierce rivalry between the two groups: the 28s would not join the project as the Centre is in 26 territory and the 26s would not allow the 28s into 26 territory. The outcome of the meeting was positive in that both groups have committed to participating in the project,” said Derick Houston, KwaZulu-Natal Regional Director.
Much emphasis is placed on awareness-raising and prevention activities. In the Western Cape, the YMCA runs regular crime awareness community campaigns, involving police services, government and NGOs. The youth themselves are very involved in these campaigns, especially in dramatising issues affecting them.
Crucial to measuring the success of our impact is the presence of youth clubs in the schools and the communities. “Many of these young people have been involved in gangs, crime and drugs and the youth clubs give them the opportunity to turn their lives around. In Mitchell’s Plain, the Youth Ambassadors Youth Club has recently voted committee members to handle tasks such as fundraising, events and public relations and this model is being encouraged in the other youth clubs.In schools, our peer educators themselves develop and implement projects and campaigns in the schools – talking directly amongst each other about their fears, challenges and ways to live a healthier lifestyle,” said Melinda.
The current SAYMCA campaign involves extending the capacity and facilities of the existing Y-Zones and developing new ones. Y-Zones are after-school programmes located at YMCA premises which are in areas where these young people are exposed to high risk. Children enter the programme at 6 and exit at 18, during which time their vulnerability to risk has been reduced and their leadership skills developed.
The Y-Zone offers four components: education, sports, arts and drama and lifeskills. The programme is crucial in the formative years to ensure that these young people are given the opportunity to develop in spite of the circumstances of their communities and homes.
“Our campaign focusing on the Y-Zones is aimed at unlocking the potential of the children and youth who are at risk and providing them with the opportunity to become leaders – an opportunity that they would otherwise not have,” said Sipho. “We already have a strong partnership with the provincial and local government and are now pursuing business partnerships to ensure we are successful at building the future of our country’s social capital.”
To top
Thandanani Ndlovu is a young man who typifies the contribution youth can make to their own self-determination and the development of other youth, if given the opportunity. Growing up in extreme poverty, he lived with his mother and 12 siblings. His unemployed father had 26 children, only 5 of them with his mother. His absent father and older siblings, who took drugs and dropped out of school, were role models he rejected from an early age. In his last year of primary school he took odd jobs to pay his own school fees. He was fortunate to be sponsored by a community member during high school, and money from his jobs went towards the household upkeep. “My mother encouraged me to study so I could have a better life than her.”
After school he found entry level employment and began to think of saving to study to become an accountant. But Thandanani happened to be with the wrong person at the wrong time which led to him being lost in the justice system and ultimately imprisoned. Accompanying a friend who was to collect money from his employer, he witnessed his friend rob the man. In the ensuing panic and police chase, Thandanani was arrested. After seven months awaiting trial, and despite the man in question saying he was not part of the set up, Thandanani was sentenced to four years imprisonment. It was only two months after imprisonment that he was finally moved to juvenile section, as he had awaited trial with adults and served his sentence with adults, despite being a 17-year-old juvenile.
During his sentence, while his erstwhile ‘friend’ joined a gang, he co-ordinated church meetings for fellow offenders, commenting, “Maybe God sent me there to help other boys and to make an impact.” After two years, in January last year he received an early release and was sent to AmanzImtoti YMCA’s Sakhithemba Halfway House. He excelled in this rehabilitation and reintegration programme and was sponsored to go on an HIV/AIDS counselling course. Graduating quickly from the programme, he went back to work and spent his free time at Sakhithemba as a volunteer before being employed as a youth worker and outreach project co-ordinator in January this year.
In March this year Thandanani joined four other young people to give evidence at the 10th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva and lobbied Council delegates on how youth justice systems around the world are failing young people, as part of the Youth Justice in Action campaign. “We lobbied for governments to use prison as a last resort for young people, to impose shorter sentences and to provide adequate rehabilitation services,” explained Thandanani, who shared his personal story at a side event. The YJIA representatives were instrumental in including a section on education, rehabilitation and reintegration in the resolution proposed by the Austrian government, and in getting 20 countries to co-sponsor the resolution.
“Young people can change the world if you give us a chance to talk and to do something. It is not about where we have come from – it’s about where we are going.”
To top
 - Durban YMCA Y-Zone youth dramatise their interpretation of youth at risk at the launch function. Photographer: Georgina Mulder
By:Di Pieters
“If we are to make long-lasting contribution to the future of Africa, it lies in a concerted effort to provide our children and youth with a nurturing, supportive environment, space to develop, and the tools to protect themselves from risk.”
Speaking at the recent launch of South Africa YMCA’s (SAYMCA) campaign to unlock the potential of youth at risk, Rev Sipho Sokhela, National General Secretary, highlighted the importance of developing leadership as part of nation-building and as a contribution to the social capital in the country and continent.
The campaign involves extending the capacity and facilities of the existing after-school Y-Zones and developing new ones. Y-Zones are located at YMCA premises which are in areas where these young people are exposed to high risk of either becoming perpetrators or victims of crime, abuse and neglect. (see article by Judge Vuka Tshabalala, web alert April 29, 2009).
The launch event took place at a dinner function on Wednesday 6 May in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, and was attended by government, business and international YMCA partners attended the annual South African YMCA Country Focus meeting. The campaign is being partnered by the KwaZulu-Natal Premier’s Office and eThekwini Municipality.
“Sometimes it is about other kinds of risks too. Some youth living in areas where there is poverty, lack of basic human rights and poor services, get lost and forgotten in the underworld of city and community life. There are also youth who feel lost and directionless as they struggle alone without support or good role-models,” said Samukele Ngubane, SAYMCA youth volunteer, who took part in the drama presentation.
Children enter the Y-Zone programme at 6 and exit at 18 as youth, during which time their vulnerability to risk has been reduced and their leadership skills developed. The Y-Zone offers four components: education, sports, arts and drama, and lifeskills.
“Our campaign focusing on the Y-Zones is aimed at unlocking the potential of children and youth who are at risk and providing them with the opportunity to become leaders – an opportunity that they would otherwise not have,” said Gil Harper, Executive Secretary: Communications, Africa Alliance of YMCAs (AAYMCA) (see full text of speech below).
“We already have a strong partnership with the Office of the Premier, KwaZulu-Natal and eThekwini Municipality and are now pursuing business partnerships to ensure we are successful at building the future of our country’s social capital,” commented Rev Sokhela.
Speaking at the event, on behalf of the Hon Mayor, Cllr Obed Mlaba, Eric Apelgren spoke of the municipality’s commitment to the partnership and areas of possible collaboration between all three partners during 2010 World Soccer, particularly in terms of youth ambassadors needed for the event.
Placing the South African situation in context, Carlos Sanvee, General Secretary of the AAYMCA, said, “African youth have been relegated to a place where they are subjects and not citizens. Subjects have limited rights and obligations beyond loyalty to the master. A citizen enjoys a wide continuum of rights and has voice and space to engage those in authority.
“More often, young people have been used alongside other commodities and public funds to serve the agenda of war fare and bad politics. In many African cities, thousands of young people are at risk, are vulnerable, and are potential subjects. \
“African YMCAs aim to promote economic and political engagement of young people - moving them from their current state as subjects to becoming full citizens. SAYMCA is fully engaged in this process and the focus on Y-Zones provides an opportunity to develop and nurture young people who can play an active civic role then as youth leaders on exiting the programme.”
The campaign to extend the reach and impact of existing Y-Zones received much support from an initiative driven by the World Alliance of YMCAs which is focusing on Resource Mobilisation through mission impact. The AAYMCA held a think-tank meeting in November 2008, during which South African participants began to explore the extension of this after-care programme and further development of this programme took place in March this year.
To top
Gil Harper, Executive Secretary: Communications, Africa Alliance of YMCAs
I would like to tell you a story… Seven years ago, a little 8 year old girl living in the inner city of Albert Park a few kilometres away from here, joined the Durban Y-Zone. Over the years, we have watched Zanele develop in this after-school programme. She has been a good student, taking full advantage of the homework supervision, and has participated well in lifeskills and arts and drama. When it comes to the sports component of the Y-Zone, Zanele has truly been exceptional and has excelled as a gymnast, setting her sights on competing internationally.
Four years ago, her parents got divorced. It was a bitter and ugly process, which the 11 year Zanele lived through. But far far worse, was when both of them just left and abandoned her. For the past 4 years Zanele has been living with her grandmother and her parents have had no contact with her. During this time, she has had to rely on friends and well-wishers to pay her school fees and has barely managed to scrape by.
This year, these people have not been able to continue with this assistance and her grandmother has also stopped supporting her. Then in the first term of this year, her school denied her access to schooling because of non-payment of the school fees.
The Durban YMCA programme manager, Paul, contacted both of her parents who said they don’t want anything more to do with her as they have their own lives to lead.
I read through some of her writings which were done as part of the Y-Zone lifeskills development. It was heart-wrenching stuff. This 15 year old, now in her final year of high school, writes of hope for the future, she writes things to tell herself to stay strong and see the positive in everything. She writes of her dreams and wishes for a career where she can make a difference in society.
But in amongst this, she writes of despair, desperation, confusion, learning to say no when she feels threatened or manipulated. There are so many danger flags in the piece of writing I read, which Paul asked her to do, after her third suicide attempt.
Yes, three recent suicide attempts.
At the age of 15 Zanele had reached a crisis point that many of us here cannot even imagine. Lost and hopeless, she felt she had been a burden to her grandmother. Feelings of abandonment resurfaced relating to her parents and the divorce. What had she done wrong? Why had all the family elders let her down? How was she going to survive? Was her life worth it?
So first, Paul took it upon himself in his personal capacity to assist her by giving her the best gift in life - education. He negotiated a grace period for payment with the school and set about raising the fees from friends and associates.
He then arranged with a final year social worker university student to meet with her weekly to counsel her. And this is proving extremely beneficial. He has also started the process to arrange a bursary and residence fees so that Zanele can attend university next year.
For her part, Zanele is making remarkable emotional and psychological progress and has committed to spend a day a week at the Durban YMCA next year, mentoring another young girl in the Y-Zone programme who is vulnerable and at risk, as she has and is walking the same path.
When I met with Paul recently to get updates on the projects and the stories of the children and youth, he said he had just paid R5 000 towards her total school fees this year and had another R2 500 to raise. Deep in thought about how again, the YMCA has literally saved a young person’s life, I reached into my bag for my pen to jot down some notes, but instead found I had opened my wallet and handed him the money I had in it.
By the time I got home, I decided that I would raise the balance of the R2 500 over that weekend. The first person I told Zanele’s story to was my 12 year old son. I said that if it touched his heart and he felt like he wanted to make a difference in her life, he could consider donating. Now my children do not receive pocket money. My son had R700 given as cash gifts from his recent birthday and had designs on buying a new rugby kit but he willingly gave me R150 and actually wanted to give more. I did raise the money and at the beginning of this term, the second term of the school year, we had paid Zanele’s school fees in full for the year.
Now I share this story with you tonight because it is rich in typifying the work we do, the impact we have and the type of partnerships we are looking for in our campaign to unlock the potential of youth at risk – one young leader at a time.
All our YMCAs deal with youth at risk like Zanele due to our locality in the communities in which we are situated. Poverty and socio-economic conditions of the communities expose the youth to risk of drugs, transactional sex, gangsterism, violence in the street, and violence in the home – what you saw played out in the drama earlier. This is compounded by a lack of role-modelling in the home and in the communities.
These children and youth need safe places to develop. And this is what we provide at the YMCA, particularly through the Y-Zone. Children can join the Y-Zone at the age of 6 and exit as youth at 18 during which time their vulnerability to risk has been reduced and their leadership skills developed. They are then provided with youth programme opportunities and very often, then become youth leaders themselves in the programmes.
The Y-Zone offers four components:
Education – which involves homework supervision, special needs assistance, and computer skills
A wide variety of sports
Arts and drama: and this includes drama for advocacy – where the youth dramatise issues affecting them, or issues from their perspective Lifeskills: depending on the need in the community, this involves understanding and developing values, setting goals, relationships, anger management, Adolescent Reproductive Health, mentoring and finance management
The Y-Zone programme is crucial in the formative years to ensure that these young people are given the opportunity to develop in spite of the circumstances of their communities and homes.
Because of our deep rootedness in the communities, we respond to the particular needs and environment of the community. For instance, in the Cape Flats area, we focus on gangsterism and deal with very young children who are addicted to the drug tik. In Garankua, our aim is to build a swimming pool for the children and youth as those living in this area have to spend most of an afternoon travelling to and from the nearest public swimming pool just to have a half hour swim.
Zanele’s story also highlights the power of partnerships and working together. Zanele had been involved in various components of the Y-Zone for seven years, and had been developed and nurtured by a team of youth workers and volunteers. When she reached a crisis point, many of us worked together to see her through. And we have no doubt that she is a future leader who will contribute meaningfully in our country.
On a larger scale, the example of Zanele’s case where we all worked as a team to help her, illustrates the partnerships we engage in to ensure the Y-Zones meet the needs of the community. To give these young people the opportunity that they would otherwise not have, we need to work with various roleplayers – government, business, civil society, our Africa Alliance of YMCAs, our international partners and many individuals who volunteer and add value to the programme.
We would like you to consider joining us through this campaign as we extend the capacity and facilities of the existing Y-Zones and develop new ones, to provide safe spaces for youth, give them tools to protect themselves against risk and provide a springboard for leadership development.
As YMCA staff and volunteers, we give our time, talent and treasure. Treasure is financial, and most of us donate on a regular basis, talent involves our skills and in giving our time, we go beyond what is normally expected in an organisation because we all believe so passionately in what we do.
Some of you here tonight have already partnered with us. Our international YMCA partners from the United States, Sweden, Norway, United Kingdom and Canada have been giving of their time, talent and treasure for many years. We have had much valued financial support from Transnet Port Terminals, Nedcor, Anglo, South African Sugar Association and the Mzi Khumalo Foundation. The KwaZulu-Natal Premiers Office and eThekwini Municipality have joined us in this campaign, giving their time and treasure. And design company Designing Women and public relations company, Embetween has given their time and talent.
As we get to know many of you better in the coming months, please remember Zanele’s story and if it has touched your heart in any way, know that she is one of thousands of children and youth that we work with every day, for years at a time.
What would Zanele say if she were here tonight? I have changed her name, to ensure confidentiality and we do not want her exposed to publicity as we want her to heal, develop and strive to carve out a future free from the stigma of being a poor, abandoned neglected kid. Well Zanele has a message for us all tonight:
Believe in youth like me – we are worth it!
Full text of speech at SAYMCA campaign launch, Wednesday 6 May 2009
Photographer: Georgina Mulder
 - Judge Vuka Tshabalala,
By: Judge Vuka Tshabalala, Judge President, KwaZulu-Natal, SA and President of SAYMCA
Active youth citizens in South Africa could make a major impact in the development of our country. Key to the concept of citizenship is that the youth have the voice, space and place to influence the decision-making and shaping of business, politics and social development. For this, we need youth who are educated, skilled, employable or who have strong entrepreneurial spirit. Importantly, we need youth who display fine moral fibre and social conscience needed for leadership.
The vast majority of our youth in South Africa are at risk… underlying poverty and socio-economic conditions of the inner cities and communities expose youth to the risk of drugs, gangsterism, transactional sex, violence in the street, and violence in the home. This is compounded by a lack of role-modelling in the home and in the communities. We are losing the future social capital of our country as many of these youth become subjects of their circumstances.
As subjects - instead of active citizens - these boys and girls, these young men and women, become trapped in conditions which reinforce existing patterns of inequality, poverty, unemployment and violence.
It was the young people in South Africa who were at the forefront of the so-called xenophobic attacks in South Africa last year, burning houses and torturing innocent African ‘foreigners’. This example has been played out across our continent to varying degrees in recent history. The youth have been used in Zimbabwe to carry out terrible acts of violence; in Madagascar young people led the violence in the capital city during the political leadership tussle at the beginning of the year. Young children in the Liberia and Sierra Leone civil wars were abducted from school, given drugs, blindfolded and forced to shoot someone to death as their initiation into becoming child soldiers. Oftentimes it is the distorted reality that it is the youth who are the cause and central players in violence. Not enough critical analysis surfaces in times of crisis to show the fundamental vulnerability of these youth, how they are manipulated and often paid to commit acts of atrocity and how they are used as cannon fodder, and are the first line to fall in the casualty count.
But we must also celebrate that it was the children and youth in South Africa who played a central role in the struggle against apartheid. And it is the youth now in the 22 April election who showed they had shaken off previous civic apathy and comprised almost 80% of new voter registrations in the first November registration drive.
As South Africans, it is our duty to invest in our future by ensuring that we do not turn our backs on our youth at risk. We need comprehensive prevention programmes for the youth at risk who engage in activities that place them in conflict with the law. But here we need to go further to provide diversion programmes for these youth to develop their lifeskills and unlock their potential to be productive members of our country. The youth who are direct ‘victims’ of neglect or violence need safe places to develop their leadership potential in mind, body and spirit. Likewise, they need support to develop their civic competence. Unless we unlock their potential, these youth shall be subjects in our country.
The key to working with youth at risk lies in intensive individual development of each young person to ensure meaningful impact. This requires a programme which runs for many years during the critical developmental phase of a young person’s life.
In my capacity as President of the South Africa YMCA (SAYMCA), and with an involvement that spans just over 35 years, I have observed youth risk trends over the years. Some of our local associations are now reporting that in the last five years the age of young people at risk is dramatically decreasing and that 12-year olds in some areas are at high risk, whereas in the same area in the past the age was 18.
For this reason, the SAYMCA is now developing Y-zone after-school programmes at the YMCA centres in the inner cities and townships for ages 6-18. These are safe spaces in the communities for young people at risk to develop confidence, leadership skills and a spirit of social engagement through a range of after-school activities. The activities cover education, lifeskills, sport and arts and drama.
Interventions such as these are crucial to ensure that these young people are given the opportunity to develop in spite of the circumstances of their communities and homes. The African saying that it takes a village to raise a child is apt for the future of our country. A combined investment of time, skills and resources into each child who is at risk in our post-democratic era, is part of nation-building. Securing our future starts with unlocking the potential of youth at risk – one young leader at a time.
This article appeared yesterday (29 April 09) as an opinion piece in The Mercury, a leading morning newspaper in South Africa.
To top
 - Dumisa Zondi
By:Gil Harper, Executive Secretary: Communications, Africa Alliance of YMCAs
“I felt great when I went to cast my vote yesterday!” said South African Dumisa Zondi, Regional Youth Development Coordinator, for South Africa YMCA’s KwaZulu-Natal province.
Dumisa and the YMCA team facilitated voter education workshops for youth in the run-up to the election yesterday, 22 April 2009, the fourth democratic election since the end of apartheid. Aimed to encourage youth civic participation, the workshops explored the concept of democracy, what it means to live in a democratic country, how democracy is practiced, challenges and ways to address them in a democracy, and the importance of youth voting in this election.
“During the election campaign, when we looked at all the political parties’ manifestos, we could see that there was a big focus on youth issues. All parties were campaigning for the youth vote.”
In an ‘Election Brief – the Youth Vote’, Neeta Misra-Dexter, writing for IDASA (Institute for Democracy in South Africa), explained, “The youth vote has gained significant attention in the past months because of high registration rates amongst the youth. In the past there has been a large amount of apathy among the youth particularly in the 1999 and 2004 elections. For example in 1999 while the average registration was 88% across age groups it was only 48% for people aged between 18 and 20. It was estimated that only 43% of the youth voted in the 1999 elections and 44.5% in the 2004 elections.”
The youth comprised almost 80% of new voter registrations in the first November registration, according to IEC (Independent Electoral Commission) reports where of the 1.6 million new voters, 1.2 million fell between the ages of 18 - 29. The last available statistics were that youth comprised almost 25% of all registered voters. Misra-Dexter cautions though that registration does not guarantee turn-out on election day: “It should be noted that in the previous election although 20 million voters were registered only 15 million voted.”
While it is too early to tell just how many youth voted, Dumisa commented that “If you looked at the queues at the voting stations and watched television coverage of the voting, you saw that the youth were out in full force to make their mark for democracy.”
Currently, the voting counting process is underway and final results are expected by this Saturday or Sunday, according to the IEC.
Dumisa said the road ahead now would be the test. “The YMCA and other civil society organisations advocated youth involvement in this election as civic participation. If the government does not deliver, come the next election this may be a problem as youth may start questioning democracy.
“During our workshops, youth were most vocal about their expectations in the future. They want attention paid to youth employment. And very exciting for us at the YMCA, the youth we engaged with said they want their space to participate in the future of our country.”
To top
By: Vezi Mncwango, Member of the Africa Alliance and World Alliance Executive Committee
Research has shown that any effective leadership development programme or process should begin with an understanding of the social and attitude constructs. If a house is in need of major repair, the soundness of its foundations, the strength of its pillars, the stability of its walls and its roof trusses are first assessed. It might well be concluded that the entire house should be demolished and rebuilt. It is the same, therefore, with the social and attitude constructs. This article offers a practical methodology concept to achieve this.
Transformation imperatives
At the heart of the plight of young people in Africa is what is described in the ‘From Subject to Citizen – building the civic competence of young people in Africa’ model*1 as their depravity of space and voice resulting in their loss or lack of identity and purpose. The first imperative for a transformation from a subject should start with establishing identity and purpose as this is the foundation of the social and attitude construct.
Next is the inculcation of belief and hope in the fulfillment of such a purpose in the life of a young person we seek to empower, as these are the pillars of social and attitude constructs. Following this, we need to align the temperamental strengths to the challenges faced by a young person in order to establish an action plan, as this represents the walls of the social and attitude construct. The final imperative should be to integrate the young person’s action plan into her daily routine (routinise), to enable her to live in action towards her purpose as this represents the roof trusses of the social and attitude construct.
Foundation - establish identity and purpose
Young people need to understand who they are and where they have come from. Then they need to define their purpose in life. Once they understand what currently defines their world perspective (i.e. the way they see the world), they can then identify all the frames that tint or impede their view of the world and what frames need to be redefined or removed. The outcome of the foundational imperative should be a redefinition of identity using the new worldview and a clear articulation of life purpose.
Pillars – Inculcate Belief and Hope
Once there is a clear articulation of identity and purpose, a value system of belief and hope has to be established. Unless a young person believes he can fulfill his purpose in life, no amount of planning will yield any result. This can be achieved through various techniques including visualisation and affirmation. Such techniques should be part of the routinised action plan.
Walls – Align Strengths to Challenges and Establish Action Plan
Walls and roofs often bear the brunt of the storms. Even with strong foundations, unstable walls and roof trusses could result in extensive damage to a house. The YMCA is a typical example of helping young people with identity and purpose, and now needs to focus more deeply on programmes to assist them to align their strengths to existing programmes. Challenges are often well articulated and have already been identified for the youth summit planned for Oct/Nov this year. It is, therefore, important to work with young people in aligning their strengths to the agreed YMCA interventions and programmes.
Roof trusses - integrate action plan to daily routine
A house is not complete without a roof. The most beautiful house without a roof is uninhabitable. Many dreams and visions die with lack of action. Young people are swamped by life’s troubles and are rarely able to integrate their participation in the YMCA with their routines. This often results in an observed phenomenon in the YMCA and many other NGOs, where the most brilliant young people attend meetings and participate fully, but action little until the next meeting. This phase is therefore critical to empower young people with tools and techniques to work their YMCA commitments into their daily routines.
The key to this perspective is an integration of a young person’s programme participation plan and their routines personal plan. Young peoples’ mastery of their private world (personal leadership) will result in them being able to be world leaders. This only happens when leadership is developed from the foundation up.
*1 Subject to Citizen is an Africa Alliance of YMCAs’ concept focusing on civic competence of youth through three core programmes: Civic Action Programme, Gender Action Programme and Youth Justice Programme. This will be piloted shortly in Kenya, Zimbabwe and Liberia. We are also working on adding a fourth component in the project to deal with the area of youth entrepreneurship.
To top
 - Owen (L) and Tamsyn (R)
By:Melinda Bechus, regional coordinator of Western Cape, South Africa YMCA
“I felt something was missing in my life… something was wrong, but when I tried to talk to my friends about it, they just laughed at me,” says 18-year-old Tamsyn Wynaand of Ravensmead, an impoverished area in the Western Cape, South Africa.
Six months ago Tamsyn was abusing dagga (marijuana) and Tik, the most dangerous drug in South Africa – a crystal meth drug that is becoming increasingly popular amongst school children, and has devastating effects such as psychotic symptoms and violence.
She was estranged from her mother who was also abusing drugs. Tamsyn’s mother give birth to her at 15 years of age, and with the life they were both living, had fully expected Tamsyn to also have a child in her early youth. Tamsyn led a girl gang at her school and influenced her friends to engage in the wrong activities – a truly negative leader. Then she joined a YMCA workshop in her school and ever since then Tamsyn is a now changed person.
I meet up with Tamsyn at Ravensmead library where, together with Owen Butler, the YMCA Youth Facilitator, she co-facilitates a workshop for the local YMCA youth club. The topic of the day: the importance of communication and respect for one another. The 10 youth sit on chairs in a half circle and Tamsyn whispers a word into the ear of the person next to her. And then the word is whispered from one youngster to the next. When the last person finally speaks the word out loud it is just non-sensical syllables. An excellent example of mis-communication.
The focus of the YMCA Youth Justice Programme is Personal Development and Leadership in schools and youth clubs. The programme enables young people from ages of 13 to 19 to make effective decisions and life choices. Eventually they will be prepared for life challenges such as substance abuse, family and community abuse. Community Abuse is a term used for violence in the communities and because the children and youth experience it daily it becomes normalised for them. This is exacerbated by the gang culture existing in these areas. Even community leaders live in fear and it very difficult for anyone to stand up and say this is not right and not normal. Many of these young people have to deal with being emotionally, physically or sexually abused and face general neglect.
All too often these at-risk youth are left alone with their problems and isolate themselves. “They find it difficult to talk about their experiences and problems,” says Owen. “We want to encourage them to open up and to build up trust by asking the right questions and empathising with them.”
Thus the programme focuses on social interaction. Activities such as games, music, dance, poetry, sports, drama groups and camps are offered on a regular basis. “I like the activities – the games, drama plays and ice-breakers. The workers make me laugh and I am happy to be here,” says Nivalian, who has been involved with the YMCA for two years.
The key factor to the success of the programme is that the youth trust the youth workers and can relate to them. That’s why more than half of the youth workers on the programme are ex-offenders or ex-gangsters – they share the same or similar experiences as the young ones, grew up in the same communities and speak their language. Owen himself is a former street-child and ex-offender who has worked in youth development for eight years, with close links with the YMCA, before joining the YMCA a year ago.
His training included facilitating workshops, understanding the psychological dynamics of abused children as well as teaching the youth the importance of boundaries, mutual respect and communication. What makes Owen most happy is “… when I meet young people who were in my programme in the schools and I see the results of my work in the adults they have become. It happens to me very often and this is fulfilling and motivates me to continue my work with the YMCA.”
The YMCA programmes aim to shift the mindset of at-risk youth. The programme started as an Intervention Programme in Pollsmoor Prison (which still exists) and has evolved successfully in the schools and youth clubs of the Western Cape into a Prevention Programme.
In the schools, the programme is run twice a week for one and half hours per session. It lasts for one school term and the following term a new group of learners begin. Participants are also invited to join the local youth club. They enjoy the activities, and benefit from workshops on Life Choices, Anger Management, Mentoring and Leadership.
The programmes are constantly monitored and evaluated and have a huge positive impact on the communities. YMCA currently runs programmes in 10 schools in Cape Town, Mitchells Plain, Ravensmead, Gugulethu and Samora Machelle, reaching over 1 000 learners. Indirectly, families, schools and local communities benefit from the programmes through the changes in behaviour and attitude of the young people. There are less school dropouts and better relationships in general.
Roberto Titus, 14, has been with the YMCA for three years: “It affected me in a positive way. My schooling improved, I became more disciplined and started to respect my morals more. My family have been more supportive.”
One of the most promising examples is Tamsyn. Through the YMCA, she turned from a negative leader to a positive Peer Leader and is hoping to become a Peer Counsellor at Ravensmead high school. She sets goals for herself, which she never did before. Now she encourages friends to develop their leadership and sees a lot of potential in them.
She has even become a role model for her mother who has now given up dagga, is living in a shelter and hoping to get a house of her own. Through meetings with the extended family, it has been decided that once this has been achieved, Tamsyn and her younger sister will be able to live with her again. A family bond has now been created.
“Owen showed me I can do better. I can be the strong person I hoped and longed to be. I am grateful he showed me: I can change,” says Tamsyn and smiles confidently.
To top
 - Nelly (R) and fellow youth leaders during the World Thinking Day activities
By:Neliswa Hlombe, South Africa YMCA Intern in Norway
Through the YMCA, I have experienced a life changing experience that has developed me both personally and professionally as a leader. What differentiates the YMCA from other organisations is the less hierarchical approach of working with one another, and the amount of responsibilities you can take on from your initial contact with the YMCA if you are willing and committed. This is certainly true in my case.
After working in a volunteer capacity for the South Africa YMCA on media relations, I was chosen as a GoCy intern to work for the YWCA-YMCA Scouts and Guides of Norway for almost a year. I left a corporate job where I was earning well for my age and had a clear career path. Leadership was about ensuring deadlines were met, the targets were met, the billings were done… my last year has defined leadership in a completely different way.
I was given tasks that were made solely my responsibility, under the guidance of a mentor. This meant that I had ownership of the task and a feeling of dependency and trust from my fellow co-workers. These factors were the driving force for me to produce results, along with the importance of representing my YMCA movement in Africa. An important aspect of leadership development is being able to cater for the young peoples’ interest in the assignments or projects you give to them.
One of my responsibilities in Norway was the marketing of the HIV/AIDS Badge within the scout movement. I had to do research and put together information, and be part of a team to develop fun learning activities around the badge. My role was to market the badge during different events and through various interactions with different scouts groups. It was of interest to me to handle something that is a devastating problem in my country, in Norway – a country where it has little impact. I was able to take this task one step further by involving young scouts in a street awareness campaign, wearing our scout shirts and handing out condoms and information to the public on 1st December (World AIDS Day). Another aim of this was to get media coverage.
As an African ambassador, it has been important for me to remember that I am here through international YMCA links, and that I have to bring an international perspective to all my activities. Last month I was assigned as one of the leaders of a group of 15 girls going to London to attend the World Thinking Day ceremony. The selected girls were seen as potential future leaders in the scout organisation.
The excitement surrounding my first time in London died a few minutes before leaving the Norway office with the girls, when I realised just how big a responsibility I had been given. During the trip I not only had to play the role of being one of the leaders but I was also in charge of different workshops within the programme, practical aspects and overall logistics. For me, this defined leadership development… I saw my own potential as a leader, which in turn gave me a renewed passion for youth and community development.
The GoCy programme has forced me to implement my leadership skills. It is the kind of programme where you have to be proactive – to keep busy and make a contribution to the organisation you are placed with. Perhaps one of the most important elements of leadership development is receiving mentorship from people with the right skills, patience and passion to groom future leaders. It is imperative that we have current leaders that are willing to educate and share their in-depth knowledge with the youth in the YMCA movement. I have personally met the best mentors within the movement who continuously pushed and tested my limits while always being supportive and inspirational.
The YMCA has given me the feeling of being part of something bigger and greater and has given me the strength to say I can make a difference in the lives of people around me.
Because we are an international family with the same foundation, principles and values, no matter how far I was from home I still felt like I was at home. Most of all, my leadership development journey has shown me just how much young people and the community need bodies such as the YMCA and future leaders like myself and thousands of others like me in Africa.
Photo: Nelly (R) and fellow youth leaders during the World Thinking Day activities
To top
By: Samukele Ngubane, SA GOYC Intern
Sounds of ululation, beaten sticks, painted faces… the Warriors of Freedom paraded through the streets of Oslo, Norway, to the rhythm set by drums as we encouraged the public to listen to us and give a little wave in global solidarity.
Under the theme of transformational leadership, Global Week was centered on enabling the youth to take the initiative and advocate against threats to humanity that exist all over the world.
The Give a Little Wave campaign is about showing solidarity and reaching out to vulnerable people worldwide. To give a little wave, is to show that you care and are not oblivious to hardships faced by other people. Twelve GOCY participants from South Africa, Bangladesh, Palestine, Norway and Armenia took part in Global Week as part of the orientation and preparation for the youth exchange program, where all will spend 9 months in another country’s YMCA/YWCA movement.
The participants had to form groups that were going to be responsible for different activities for the campaign. The Performing/Arts and Culture group was responsible for entertainment and making sure we had an audience at our exhibition stand. This group demonstrated the threats to humanity through role-play and provided entertainment through street theatre. The Exhibition/Petition Group wore t-shirts with messages of hope and solidarity. By interacting with the people on the streets, they encouraged them to wave as part of showing solidarity and also gave them information leaflets. The Activities Group was responsible for painting messages on the t-shirts, making buttons with slogans and encouraging people to sign and write messages on our petition wall to symbolize the division and occupation of Palestine.
It was so exciting as youth to be part of this campaign and to speak out as young people on issues that affect us all globally. The youth involvement in the mobilization of solidarity is a perfect example of the much needed transformation of youth from being subjects to citizens. As citizens, we are accountable and have to take a certain amount of responsibility and initiative for making this world a better place and fighting against injustices.
The rest of the month focused on global issues and how we, as youth, can advocate for and against many issues. The preparation month in Norway had an in-depth focus on how to deal or handle issues that one faces when going on exchange to a different country be it culture, religion or social customs, and how important it is to work for a cause.
As I go now to Bangladesh, I am motivated and inspired to contribute to the betterment of others and the Bangladesh YMCA/YWCA programs. It is a challenge and experience that I am hoping will positively affect every aspect of my life and the relationships.
Many South Africans of goodwill are horrified at the recent racist attack during a rugby match, said Rev Sipho Sokhela, National General Secretary of the South Africa YMCA.
Commenting on the incident whereby three white men racially insulted and assaulted a black woman during halftime of South Africa's match against Australia on Sunday (NZT), Rev Sokhela pointed out that this showed that the country still has many challenges to face in the road of democracy.
“However, many people are embarrassed by this as most of us are dreaming of and working towards a South Africa where racism does not exist, and is a thing of the past. When we see episodes like this, we are reminded of how important it is to invest much effort in our youth and their leadership development,” he said.
Rev Sokhela added his concern to the statements and comments of other leaders during a lunch time radio programme today on the racist incident on Highway Radio, a KwaZulu-Natal radio station.
Following the attack, the South African Rugby Union (Saru) is offering a R10 000 reward to anyone with information on the identities of the men involved. “The YMCA works with young people as they are critical to our change process. Through a peer education model, our youth workers assist young people as they shape their values and the way they think and relate to each other.
“Diversity, difference and division are issues which we encourage the youth to speak about and explore. This contributes to them becoming active citizens of our country and globally who take pride in identity and who embrace multi-cultural contexts,” said Rev Sokhela.
|
