NELSPRUIT – Unemployment, poverty, low levels of education, abuse and HIV are some of the myriad challenges facing the youth.
LoveLife – a cutting edge, highly visible South African organisation with a proven evidence-based record in reducing HIV risk among youth – has put youth leadership at the forefront of addressing these social ills.
According to the organisations’s copy writer, Ms Thandiwe McCloy, the Youth Leadership Development Programme builds young people’s social, ethical, emotional, physical, and cognitive competencies.
She adds that each year, a cohort of about 1 260 peer motivators and community mobilisers called loveLife groundbreakers and about 6000 mpintshis (loveLife volunteers working under the guidance of groundbreakers) are recruited to drive loveLife programme implementation.
LoveLife has a significant footprint across South Africa, having groundbreakers and mpintshis operating in 8 000 schools and more than 880 sites, including 532 government clinics and more than 300 franchised community-based organisations.
“For the first time ever, loveLife has also put plans in place to provide groundbreakerss with an accredited certificate once their year-long contract is over. This will enhance their chances of accessing study and employment opportunities once they leave the programme and work to realise their career goal,” says McCloy.
Sbonokuhle Nyembe, who is getting ready for his journey as a groundbreaker, says: “I’m now preparing myself mentally and physically to train this year’s crop of mpintshis as best as I can. I can’t wait for the loveLifestyle training to start!”
Gomolemo Mogau adds: “I’m really excited about the training. I’ll learn a lot of things that will enable me to make a change in the lives of youth in my community. I’ll take information to them and open their eyes about HIV and other social challenges, which are part of their reality.”
The programme has been shown to not only positively impact the lives of youth who benefit from loveLife programmes, but to also develop the health and confidence of the groundbreakers themselves.
