Newly formed Youth Ministry tackles Ekurhuleni’s social ills
The Ekurhuleni Youth Ministry Forum was held at the end of 2014 to address challenges facing the youth today.
According to metro spokesperson, Themba Gadebe, South Africa’s population is largely made up of young people below the age of 35 years that constitutes about 66 per cent of the total population.
It is these young people who are directly affected by poverty, unemployment, alcohol and substance abuse.
“The forum created a platform for the youth to voice their concerns about the social ills they are faced with in their communities.
“The Ekurhuleni Youth Ministry was established early this year by a group of Christian youths from various regions in Ekurhuleni, who saw a need to bridge the gap between young people and the government.
“The youth are faced with many challenges and among these challenges is accessibility to resources that are designed to better their livelihood.
“Young people do not attend Izimbizo, so this is a great platform to hear them out and establish a way forward on how we can work together to with the municipality to help young people realise their dreams,” said the managing director of Ekurhuleni Youth Ministry, Neli Manzi.
The activities of the day included a panel discussion under the theme “Youth development a government priority.”
The panel was made up of representatives from the Ekurhuleni Youth Unit in the office of the Executive Mayor, the Health and Social Development Department and the National Department of Trade and Industry.
The panelists presented their departments’ core functions and encouraged the young people present to make use of all the government services that are specifically designed to help boost the youth to rise above adversity.
Among the dignitaries present was the renowned actress, presenter, writer and radio personality Thami Ngubeni who motivated the youth to stay positive and grounded by the word of God.
“You have been designed on purpose, and your purpose in life is to discover what your gifts are and use them positively to advance yourself. Your gift is your passport and a key to open and realise your dreams,” said Ngubeni.
As a newly formed non-government organisation, the Ekurhuleni Youth Ministry promises to be the voice that helps to address and alleviate the social ills that the youth in Ekurhuleni are faced with. @NalediBoksburg
