What South African youth can teach us about the human development strategies of tomorrow.

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Our Advocacy Division has been gearing up to learn how we can become better at advocating 'with', instead of advocating 'for'. 

 

In 2022 we joined forces with the Club of Rome. The organisation places strong emphasis on African youth liberating their own future.

 

What we have done:

We kicked off the year interviewing eleven organisations reimagining SA in our Cape Town-based network. Both leaders and young people took part in the Letsema Circle. Each representing the following six organisations:

• The Association for Educational Transformation (ASSET) is an after-school tutoring programme, supporting informal settlement schools. 

• Beyond Expectations Environmental Programme (BEEP) takes youth from informal settlements for hikes up Table Mountain. This encourages an ability to dream and transcend psycho-social limitations through nature.

• Fun learning for Youth (FLY) is a maths-focussed after school tutoring programme. The programme operates from Gugulethu Community Centre.

• LEAP Maths and Science School has several locations across the country. Their student outcomes exceed national statistics. Through the challenging of limiting beliefs, LEAP prioritises life orientation. 

• Ubumbo Leopards is an extracurricular education and sport program for over 14s in Langa and Gugulethu.

• VUSA is an after-schools programme combining sports, cultural and learning activities. They focus on under 14s in partnership with Ubumbo Leopards. 

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As each organisation shared their work and experiences, we gained a better understanding of their challenges and opportunities. The group explored the 'Co-discover' step of the Letsema Process in their first conversation.

 

What's next:

This year we will host several Letsema circles with these organisations to progress through each step. Our experiment looks at how the work can impact systems change. In this context, we look forward to learning more about:

 

• How self-empowered youth can create better outcomes for themselves and their communities.

• The role of the Letsema Process in the creation of communities of practice. (How this can helps them overcome their challenges in a united effort.)

• Linking these learnings to global strategies for healthier communities and ecosystems.