Youth development programme

Progress report for the Youth Development Programme

 January- March 2011

  1.0. Restoring Humanity Youth Project

This exciting new initiative will be rolled out in the Western Cape in 2011.  It aims to equip young people with the capacity and skills to address actions and attitudes that harm or destroy human dignity in their community, and to re-draw damaging patterns of behaviour.  Participants are able to assess the individual, social, economic and political factors that undermine equal worth, and contribute to destructive feelings of inferiority and alienation in the neighbourhoods where they live. They work together to identify and implement solutions that restore dignity, purpose and hope at individual and community level, and produce case studies of their observations and interventions.  Learning processes are including workshops, youth platforms, story-telling circles and ‘remembering’ visits and walks. 

 The first few weeks in February was spent in the conceptualization of the project and developing the implementation plan. This included the identification and meeting of local partner organisation and project leader in each identified area.

Atlantis: Beacon Hill Church – project leader – Charl Damon

Masipumelele: IHOM support group – project leader – Liso Madekane

Athlone: Fusion – project leader - Michael Henkeman

 To date the project is engaging 28 youth leaders from the 3 areas. The project leaders have recruited a further 20 youth in their areas to form a local project group of 30 each area. At the present moment Atlantis and Masipumelele is working on par with each other, Athlone needs more support in organizing and planning.

 We are also in the process of developing t-shirts and a pamphlet for the project that will assist in popularizing the project and IHOM and take the message of the project forward.

  2.0. Youth workshop in De Doorns

 Themba facilitated the youth workshop on 4^th-5^th March and 11^th-12 March in De Doorns. This was a joint activity with Scalabrini Centre. 16 participants from Sondela Drama Group attended the workshop. The workshop offered a broader perspective on South Africa’s apartheid years through encouraging young people to reflect on the experiences of different communities and the pain and suffering that occurred in dissimilar contexts. The workshop was focusing on facing the past, facing ourselves, xenophobia issues and teenage pregnancy.  Participants also discussed the effects and consequences of choices made by individuals and communities. They discussed about choices of resistance, bystanders, rescuers and perpetrators.

 The young people expressed that there is a gap between parents and youth in the community where parents do not talk about the apartheid years on new generations and how the new generation can learn from it. The only new generation learns about the apartheid is through workshops like that, from schools and communities. At the end of the workshop, most young people expressed that they have learned that they have to treat each other in the same way they want to be treated, helping each other, building friendship with other people from other countries in Africa, not judging others by looking outside, listening skills and changing perceptions towards each other.

 In Kazulu Natal, the Youth Facilitator training was held on Saturday 19 February 2011. 12 facilitators attended the seminar. This was an opportunity to regroup as facilitators, new and old to look at the year ahead and also enhance our skills around facilitation.    At this seminar we look at a range of issues that will enhance facilitator’s skills in facilitation. The seminar was led by Sthembiso Madlala, Organizational Development Practitioner.

• Global_Giving_Report_JanMarch_2011.doc (DOC)