Youth equipped to choose health
A group of 300 Mdantsane teenagers have grasped the tools to evade illness and make better life choices. The onus is now on them to walk the talk.
The teens are among a number of schoolgoing pupils across the country who completed the You Only Live Once (Yolo) programme this year.
It helps youngsters make healthy choices, and on Wednesday the group graduated after completing the 12 sessions in the programme.
The national initiative is a collaboration between the department of social development and the Aids Council and is funded by Pepfar.
More than 19 000 teenagers in the Eastern Cape participated. Schools are picked based their need for intervention.
Social development MEC Phumza Dyantyi and US consul-general Virginia Blaser joined the graduation at the St Gregory Anglican church in Mdantsane and led a feedback session on the lessons learned. The teens relished the discussion. For many, life in informal settlements around Mdantsane has negatively affected their outlook on life. They praised the programme for instilling feelings of self-worth.
Chuma Nkunzi, 17, of NU1, said it boosted his confidence and changed his views of himself and others. “I’ve learnt a lot about differentiating between right and wrong. I had a problem of looking down on myself but this has helped me so much. I’m a better person now.”
Hlonipha Dingile, 17, said: “We teens don’t pay enough attention to things like respect for our elders and forming good relationships with our parents.”
Vuyisa Dayile, head of the Eastern Cape Aids Council, said Mdantsane was an HIV and teen pregnancy hotspot in BCM, as were Duncan Village, Mzamomhle and Gompo.
“The Yolo programme focuses on behavioural changes because without changing how young people behave, we won’t reach the target of an HIV-free generation. We empower them with this information so they can also become ambassadors for changed lifestyles.”
Dyantyi said the youth was vulnerable to social ills, and the programme was meant to build their morale. “It helps them understand their surroundings and their challenges.”