Young women in Joburg encouraged to return to African cultural values

As August is Women’s Month, Indoni South Africa has encouraged women to return to their African cultural values and positively impact the communities they live in.

The non-profit organisation aims to bring about behavioural changes among young people through identity directed programmes to address social ills including unemployment, teen pregnancies, drug and alcohol abuse. They also aim to promote inter-cultural awareness and the understanding of African cultures and beliefs.

Indoni South Africa encourages education, entrepreneurship and community upliftment, which is evidenced by the testimonies of several women who graduated from their cultural school and were Indoni Miss Cultural finalists in 2012. Indoni shared stories of these women, who are still living out the cultural values instilled in them and impacting others around them.

Thenjiwe Hadebe-Mchunu (27) was crowned Indoni queen in 2012. She has since been married into the Royal Mchunu family and studied business development through Unisa. She has also launched several projects including career guidance for the youth and opened her own events management company.

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Nokuthula Kabini (22), who was also one of the Indoni Miss Cultural finalists in 2012, now runs a project called ‘Vuka Mntomutsha’ which teaches youth about Ndebele cuisine, clan names and how to do Ndebele beadwork among other things.

Founder of the organisation, Nomcebo Mthembu said, “The world has changed since the days of our forefathers, and some nuances in our culture need to be revisited and retaught, but the values that mitigated against crime, that respected all people of all ages, are the ones we need to embrace and adopt as part of our cultural heritage.”

She said young women need to recognise that women are leaders in their own right and they should never degrade themselves or allow themselves to be degraded by others. “They should love themselves and embrace their culture.”

Chief executive officer of Indoni South Africa, Sibongile Nzimande said, “We are instilling a powerful message of fundamental self-worth and dignity that emanates directly from our cultural heritage.

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“When this is wholly embraced by young women – when they see their futures as bright and hopeful – their decision-making is impacted. They reject destructive influences and become valuable contributors in their communities.”

Details: www.indoni.org

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