Youth Day highlights challenges faced by local young people
The host and founder of NTF, Nhlanhla Tshabalala said the main aim of the campaign was to engage young people living with HIV to promote awareness and reduce stigma.
The Nhlanhla Tshabalala Foundation (NTF) celebrated Youth Day by spreading awareness about HIV/AIDS, drugs and substance abuse among young people.
The foundation hosted a Youth Day Picnic and fundraiser event to collect blankets and hot water bottles at the Big Park, Zone 5, Pimville, on June 16.
It formed part of the preparation for 67 Minutes of Mandela Day, on July 18.
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The host and founder of NTF, Nhlanhla Tshabalala said the main aim of the campaign was to engage young people living with HIV to promote awareness and reduce stigma.
And speak to the issues of substance abuse whilst promoting mental health, given that the majority of the youth are unemployed and hopeless.
“We want to give them hope and remind them that, as much as the youth of 1976 contributed and made a difference by fighting the apartheid regime, they also have the power within them to change whatever current challenges that they face,” said Tshabalala.
The director of SANCA Soweto, Nthabiseng Nzama educated about high-risk behaviour, which includes sexual high-risk behaviour, linked to the use of substances.
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She said when you are under the influence of drugs and alcohol your reasoning capacity is not the same compared to when you are sober.
Nzama noted that another form of contracting the disease is by sharing a smoke with a person who has a cut on the mouth or sharing a needle ‘Bluetooth’.
She further noted that another transitive method for many consumers of drugs and alcohol is kissing individuals with cut bruises on the lips and unprotected sex.
“Young people must just be extra careful when it comes to situations like that. I advise them to try to be in spaces where they know they are safe,” said Nzima.
She said SANCA offers recovering addicts programmes to prepare for rehab, and aftercare programmes or post rehab.
“The journey is continuous, unfortunately, once you are an addict, you could never say, I am healed, hence we say it is a recovery journey.”
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One of the main sponsors, Sibongile Nkosi from the Global Network of People Living with Disabilities (GNP) said they understand that young people still live with the disease and they wanted them to be included in the event.
“We want young people to understand the quality of life and they should enjoy themselves. In the same breath, we are teaching about the disease and prevention methods like using condoms and PrEP.
“Young people living with the disease must know there is treatment and they must take it,” said Nkosi.
