Deputy Minister Buti Manamela: SAAYC Annual Dreamers Awards ceremony

Deputy Minister Buti Manamela keynote address to the Southern African Association of Youth Clubs Annual Dreamers Awards Ceremony, Pyramid Conference and Venue Centre, Selby, Johannesburg

Mr Lwazi Mboyi, the Chairperson of the SAAYC Board SAAYC Board members Mr Jeff Mkhwanazi,
Executive Director of SAAYC SAAYC Partners :
Lovelife
South African Youth Workers Association
HP South Africa
Intel South Africa
United Nations Development Programme
Department of Social Development

It gives me great pleasure to be your keynote speaker at this Annual Dreamers Awards Ceremony. Thank you for inviting me. 

With its establishment in 1937, Southern African Association of Youth Clubs (SAAYC) celebrates 78 years of existence. In an environment where youth development organisations close shop every day for a host of reasons, SAAYC’s continual existence is an accolade that must be noted and celebrated. Today, SAAYC remains one of the premier youth development NGO’s in the country.

Of course it may be easy to just continue existing without making any impact.  But this is not true of SAAYC.  The organisation’s cutting edge, innovative approaches to youth development has demonstrated impact over the decades. SAAYC’s early investment in youth leadership training has produced many leaders within the civil society movement, the labour movement, the private sector and within government. SAAYC’s early efforts in advocating for the professionalisation of Youth Work has moved the youth work agenda forward in South Africa. SAAYC has helped to shape the discourse of youth development in this country moving it away from viewing young people as problems to be solved to viewing young people as active participants in their own development. This is important. In my role as the Deputy Minister in The Presidency responsible for Youth Development, I come across many well intentioned people and initiatives targeting youth. Unfortunately their premise that young people are problems to be solved robs them of the value of seeing young people as active change agents; of seeing young people as resilient people who can change their odds with the appropriate support provided to them; of seeing young people as essential community members and leaders who can positively support community development. This is the essence of positive youth development. 

Youth Clubs provide a valuable platform for positive youth development to take place. A young Nokhanya sees the development needs in her community.  She sees few spaces for youth to sing and dance and express their artistic creativity.  And so she starts a youth club that teaches dance and the creative arts. Soon other young people join this youth club to find opportunities to express their creative talent. There is an explosion of artistic talent and expression in their community as a result of the activities of the youth club. In the process Nokhanya learns valuable skills. She learns how to lead a team of volunteers.  She learns how to communicate with her youth club members.  She learns how to plan activities and to raise funds.  She learns how to advocate for the needs of youth in her community. The youth club becomes a laboratory for leadership development. 

Youth Clubs provide a valuable platform for social cohesion.  Gregory laments the conflict in his community.  He sees too many young people like himself succumb to joining gangs.  He sees the potential of his peers waste away.  So he starts a youth club teaching sports. Gregory and his committee members mentor other young people as well as organise sporting activities.  Soon the youth club grows in its membership as more and more young people sign up. These young people want to belong to something positive. These young people want to channel their frustrations and the sports field becomes their outlet. And over time Gregory sees young people slowly turn away from gangs because his youth club provides a safe space.  The youth club provides a supportive place where they can learn new skills and find constructive ways to deal with conflict. The young people in the youth club begin to relate better to their parents and older community members.  Inter-generational dialogue starts to take place.  Social cohesion is beginning to take root in this community.

The stories of Nokhanya and Gregory abound in youth clubs all across South Africa.  I do not have to tell you this.  You know it for yourself. But more young people need to get involved in youth clubs.  More youth clubs need to be established and sustained.  As the Deputy Minister in The Presidency responsible for Youth Development, I want to bring attention to youth clubs as a model for youth development. I want to encourage more civil society organisations to start new youth clubs and provide assistance to existing youth clubs. To this end, my office is planning a Learning Forum on Youth Clubs. I want to use this Learning Forum to advocate for youth club development within government, civil society and the private sector. I want to generate knowledge on youth clubs focussing on what works. SAAYC has been a valuable part of the planning team for the Learning Forum and we will continually draw upon your expertise in this area.

Tonight we celebrate the achievements of youth clubs through this Annual Dreamers Awards. Harriet Tubman, the African American abolitionist and humanitarian once said that “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” We need dreamers.  Dreamers do not look at things and ask why. They dream of things that never were and ask why not.  We need young dreamers who will not accept their status quo. But dreams do not come true by magic. It takes sweat, determination and hard work. It takes courage. And that is why tonight is so exciting.  We celebrate dreamers who have pursued their dreams through hard work, determination, courage and sweat. We celebrate dreamers who have laboriously toiled away day after day, week after week in their community youth clubs. They have steadfastly planned development activities. They have vociferously called young people to join them. They have unwaveringly worked in their communities to make things better. They have resolutely refused to be a part of the problem in their communities but instead they stubbornly chose to be part of the solution. To all the youth club leaders and youth clubs that will be receiving awards tonight – I salute you.

I also want to take this opportunity to share some developments on the National Youth Policy 2015-2020. You would know that the government has released the draft policy for public consultation and comment. The National Youth Policy is an important document. It provides policy direction to government, civil society and the private sector on key youth development matters over the next 5 years. SAAYC will be pleased because the NYP is framed by the language of positive youth development.  It engages young people as a positive force for transformational change. The NYP 2015-2020 bring greater focus to youth development and its policy proposals are anchored around four key thematic areas, namely:

1. Economic Participation
2. Education, Skills and Second Chances
3. Health Care and Combating Substance Abuse
4. Nation Building and Social Cohesion I am therefore issuing an invitation to SAAYC and all its member youth clubs to read and study the draft NYP and make a written submission outlining your comments and to participate in the consultation processes that are currently underway across the republic. There is nothing for young people without young people.

Let me conclude by saying to SAAYC, please keep up the good work that you are doing. Youth development work is valuable, it is much needed and the rewards are both immediate and in the future. Thank you for inviting me to this event.

I thank you.

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