Let us learn from the 1976 youth
JOBURG - DURING the first week of a month in which we should have been celebrating and uplifting our youth, we were hit with the heavy news that a foetus was found dumped on a rubbish heap in Alexandra.
Read about the foetus which was found by recyclers in Alexandra
This came just days after May ended with the news that a missing Midrand student was found dead.
These instances show that a month to reflect on our youth, and how we can empower and protect them, is most certainly needed – especially in a city where, according to Executive Mayor Parks Tau, the majority of people are under the age of 35.
On the issue of youth empowerment, at the start of this month, Tau launched the City’s programme Vulindlel’ eJozi which aims to create various economic empowerment opportunities for 200 000 young people and to break down barriers to opportunities. Time will tell how well the project will function, but the City’s aim to empower youth for the long-term is a vital initiative.
Turning to the issue of protecting our youth, we can take wisdom from the statement of Minister of Women’s Affairs, Susan Shabangu, who reportedly said the responsibility of protecting women and children is not only that of law enforcement, but of all South Africans.
The sentiment of drumming up support from individuals was echoed by the founder of Yenzani Children’s Home in Midrand, Sanne Mirk, who also believes in mobilising people to support child protection efforts. She said the country is faced with the challenge of raising awareness of child protection, and she also said it was important to share stories of hope.
One of the most hopeful stories to consider from the history of our youth is how the young people took their fate into their own hands on 16 June 1976 in the Soweto uprising to protest the introduction of Afrikaans as the language of instruction in schools. One of the lessons we can learn from their actions is how, by taking it upon themselves to make a change in their lives, they made a long-term impact on the lives of future generations of all South Africans.
Their actions bring the words of American poet Maya Angelou to mind when she said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
The 1976 youth should inspire individual community members to believe that the actions of individuals matter and can make an impact.
This absolutely does not mean that we do not need the backing of the City, national government and organisations, but rather it highlights that we do not have to wait for a sweeping programme to take action – and who knows how far-reaching the effect of those individual actions could be.
