Ten young people that were selected to participate in a French Exchange Programme through a partnership between the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), Service Civique – a French institution responsible for voluntary civic service and loveLife, South Africa's largest national HIV prevention initiative for young people have returned from a six month youth related volunteer work service trip in Burgundy, France.
Today, 10 French youth who will work as loveLife Mpintshis and implement loveLife and NYDA programmes under the guidance of loveLife ground
breakers have arrived for their six month South African experience. The skills development programme will equip the French students by working loveLife mpintshis (peer motivators and community mobilisers) who implement all loveLifes loveLifestyle programmes which include lifeskills, motivation, debating and sexual health programmes. They will work under the guidance of loveLife groundbreakers who are also peer motivators and community mobilisers.
From an NYDA perspective, the French students will form part of the NYDA’s National Youth Service Programme where they will be placed with respective Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO’s) & community based organisations (CBO’s). The type of services they will render to communities will range in the areas of health, education and social development.
“We are pleased to welcome the South African students back and delighted that the French groundbreakers have landed on African soil. The aim of the French Exchange Programme is to encourage youth service in South Africa for skills development and to promote an increasedsense of self efficacy amongst young people.” said NYDA Chief Executive Officer, Steven Ngubeni.
Ngubeni explained that youth engagement in a community can be beneficial to not only the future of an individual, but to community advancement as well. Through youth exchange, young people learn firsthand about various aspects of life in another country and as their concept of the world expands, they mature and develop a deeper understanding of themselves.
The South African youth were selected because of their involvement in community service.
The 10 young South Africans returning are:
Nokonwaba Dalisile, 22 from Khayelitsha who lives with her mother, two siblings and her three-year-old daughter and is hoping to bring new knowledge back to her community.
“I want to secure a solid upbringing and brighter future for my daughter, not that I didn’t have a good home but I just want better for her,” said Dalisile.
She will be leaving her daughter in the care of her family during her travels.
Henrico Bezuidenhout, 23 from Prince Albert is travelling overseas for the first time and wants to inspire other young people in his community to get involved in civil service.
“When I return from France and young people see me walking in the streets, they should say that is the guy that went overseas and brought his knowledge and skills back to his community,” said Bezuidenhout who spends his time hosting peer education, teenage pregnancy and motivation workshops at high schools in his hometown.
Amanda Centane, 21 from the township of Langa is mother to a two year old boy, Lunam whom she will be leaving in the care of her mother- a part time domestic worker.
According to Centane, “My father passed away in December last year and since then my stipend from loveLife has been assisting my mother with household expenses. Initially my mother was not too happy about me going to France as our family would not have this stipend anymore but I think she now understands all I can gain from this opportunity.”
Yonelani Msindo, 22 from Du Noon, is hoping to impress French NGO’s with his commitment and passion for service.
Msindo, whose mother is a domestic worker and single parent, grew up without a father as he says most children in his community do.
“My mother had to play both roles very strongly, raising a son without a male role model could not have been easy. She is paranoid about my safety abroad and keeps reminding me about the dangers of human trafficking but she is also very excited,” he said.
Paultin Abrahams, 18 from Kykoedie in Klipdale says he is the first farm workers’ child from his community to ever travel overseas.
“My parents are so proud of me that they have been bragging to the rest of the community about me going to France and all that I will learn there,” said Abrahams whose father is a farm worker and mother, a housewife.
Nonkoliso Babaza, 24 from Langa describes herself as a simple person and given the opportunity to become a South African politician believes she could make a difference in the lives of many young people. Babaza said she would achieve this change through her firsthand knowledge about township life and by simply listening.
“The most exciting thing for me about being selected to participate in the French Exchange Programme is the opportunity to visit another country and to travel in an aeroplane, as it will be my first time for both,” she said.
Posiswa Makele, 23 from Khayelitsha is mother to two children, a seven-year-old and a one-year-old, both of whom she will be leaving in the care of her parents.
“My life is quite routine, nothing exciting except that I will be going to France next year,” said Makele.
She said the furthest she had ever been from her family was to the Cape, West Coast to towns like Langebaan and said that she was nervous but also very excited.
Rugby player, Jerome Damons, 22 from Hermanus lives with his mother who is a farm worker, step father and older siblings.
“My mother is the most excited about me going to France, I don’t think I will even bring her to the airport because she will just cry,” he said.
When asked what he is most looking forward to, Damons said, “I am definitely eager to experience French culture, learn new things and bring knowledge and education back home. I am also passionate about rugby and would like to find a French club that I could play for during my stay in Burgundy.”
Viloshnee van Wyk, 21 has lived in Worcester her whole life and said that she has always wanted to go to France.
She described challenges of gangsterism, drug and alcohol abuse and territory wars faced by young people in her community. She said that she made a conscious effort not to get involved in these problems and instead tried to become somewhat of a role model to youth in Worcester.
“I am most excited about my trip to France to learn about their culture and religion and also to find out if the French are really as arrogant as the rest of the world believes,” said van Wyk.
Busisiwe Nontsikelelo Duna, 22 lives with her grandmother in Brown's Farm, Philippi. She said she joined the loveLife Groundbreakers project to make a change and to do something with her life instead of complaining about unemployment.
“My family couldn’t believe it’s actually true that I am going to France as not many people from our background ever get an opportunity like this,” she said.
Enquiries:
Palesa Madumo
Tel: 011 506 7376
Cell: 072 973 2996
E-mail: palesaM@jnpr.co.za
