Beating bullies through hip hop
Using her painful experience to uplift and inspire other victims
AFTER years of being tormented and bullied by classmates, a Mitchells Plain teen is using her painful story and talent to inspire other victims of bullying.
Celita Jenecker, 17, from Morgan Village, will be hosting a Hip Hop anti-bullying Jam on September 30. She chose to use dancing, rapping and poetry to help her to heal.
“I will be hosting the campaign fundraiser in Heaven Centre in Woodlands, here in Mitchells Plain. It will not only be a day of fun but a day to raise awareness about the serious problem of bullying and what it does to someone. One of the speakers will be from the Department of Education because the majority of the youth experience bullying in schools,” said the Balco College matric student.
Celita said she had been tormented by bullies for three years. With the funds she wants to help build safe classes where bullied pupils can eat, share their stories and empower one another.
“I was bullied so much from in my previous school and as a result I had anxiety attacks and tried to commit suicide as they (other pupils) made me feel worthless. The bullying started in Grade 8 but things escalated in grades 9 and 10. All of my 42 classmates made my schooldays a living hell.
“They abused me emotionally. They would say I am ugly and tell me they hate me. I believed everything they told me. Most of the time I did not want to go to school because I knew I couldn’t concentrate.
“I failed grades 9 and 10, my parents had no choice but to remove me from that school as they saw nothing was being done. ”
Celita said what hurt her the most was her teachers and the school principal who never believed her.
“My teachers knew I was telling the truth but they turned a blind eye as they knew the bullies had siblings who were gangsters. The principal only believed everything as one of the bullies finally admitted that she was bullying me. She said the reason she had been bullying me is because her brother was a known gangster so no-one would do anything.”
Founder of the Injabulo Anti-Bullying Project, Lindiwe Dhlamini said she was proud and happy to see a victim making a difference. “It is important to speak out about bullying. Bullying is a real issue in many of our schools,” she said.
“THE REASON SHE HAD BEEN BULLYING ME IS BECAUSE HER BROTHER WAS A KNOWN GANGSTER SO NO-ONE WOULD DO ANYTHING