Five from RHS to tackle xenophobia
'This project empowers and motivates me' - one of the pupils.
Five Grade 10 pupils from the Youth Citizens Action Programme (YCAP) at Randfontein High School (RHS) will take part in the district elimination rounds on Saturday 20 June.
YCAP is a youth development programme that has been running in schools country wide since 2010.
The programme is part of the values and civic engagement pillars within the Department of Basic Education at national and provincial level.
This year RHS accepted the challenge. Five of its Grade 10 pupils have conducted extensive research into this problem in light of the recent horrific xenophobic incidents in South Africa.
Firstly, it’s said many schools employ teachers who are foreigners, especially for Mathematics and Physical Science subjects.
Randfontein is a mining town and research revealed that over the years, migrant workers from many African countries have been employed in the mining industry.
Mining towns became a melting pot of various cultures and languages, proving that people of different ethnic groups can co-exist and contribute positively to this country. Many of the migrant workers on the Gold Reef have families who have blended into the South African lifestyle and culture.
RHS pupils hail from various countries and languages, and they agree that xenophobia is based on stereotypes.
They have proposed the following solutions:
• Open dialogue between all stakeholders including migrant communities
• Careful, sensitive facilitation to ensure the agenda is depoliticised, and the leadership and community representation are not narrowly defined
•The forums should be sustainable, proactive and open to all views
According to one of the pupils, Agisang Sibanda, “This project empowers and motivates me in areas such as research and communication skills, team work, problem solving, leadership skills and public speaking.”
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