Month: May 2019

One in three children under the age of 18 is a victim of sexual violence and physical abuse, a survey has found.

Each year, government and organisations around the country gear up to mark National Child Protection Week with campaigns and programmes designed to raise awareness about children’s rights, their safety and security.

It is a week aimed at mobilising all sectors of South African society to care for and protect children. But with abuse statistics on the rise, child protection should be an ongoing effort.

The SA Child Gauge 2017 survey by the University of Cape Town children’s institute reported some shocking statistics: one in three children under the age of 18 is a victim of sexual violence and physical abuse.

Twelve percent of children live below the international ultra-poverty line, which equates to less than R17,50 a day. Violence against children cost SA an estimated R239bn – or 6% of gross domestic product – in 2015.

And last year, parliament heard from police minister Bheki Cele that in the past three financial years 99% of children in SA experienced or witnessed violence.

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Children are our future: Why do we rape, abuse and kill them?

Child Protection Week is marked in South Africa from 2 to 9 June 2019. And yet, in the past three years, 99% of children in South Africa experienced or witnessed violence, 2,600 children were murdered – 5% of the total murders – and 41% of all reported rape cases have been of children.

Each year, government and organisations around the country gear up to mark National Child Protection Week with a multitude of campaigns and programmes designed to raise awareness about children’s rights, their safety and security. It is a week aimed at mobilising all sectors of South African society to care for and protect children as the most vulnerable – and valuable – members of our society. But with abuse statistics on the rise, child protection should be an ongoing year-round effort.

The SA Child Gauge 2017 survey compiled by the University of Cape Town’s Children’s Institute reported some shocking statistics: “One in three children under the age of 18 is a victim of sexual violence and physical abuse. Twelve percent of children live below the international ultra-poverty line, which equates to less than R17.50 a day. Violence against children cost the country an estimated R239-billion – or 6% of the GDP – in 2015”.

And in 2018, Parliament heard from the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, that “in the past three financial years: 99% of children in South Africa experienced or witnessed violence; 2,600 children were murdered, which is 5% of the total murder numbers across the country; (and) 41% of all reported rape cases have been of children and the number of child rapes has continually increased year on year”.

Child Protection Week is a great start as we move into June. Celebrated annually as Youth Month, in June we take the opportunity to reflect on the sacrifices of the youth of the past and take stock of the struggles, challenges and achievements of young people of today. Further validating the importance of the world’s young people, the United Nations deems the world’s youngest – and largest – population to be of the utmost importance, citing youth as “agents of positive change and their inclusion in society more broadly a precondition for sustaining peace”. Non-profit organisations often play a key role in representing minority views, as well as policy innovation and advocacy. To this end, a great investment is being made to bring about institutional transformation and change public perception towards greater protection for children. In an administrative context that may include developing Child Protection Policies based on national and global best practice, and in-depth staff security checks and child protection training. With respect to child protection, this means giving our youth a platform to speak, seeking their counsel and valuing their leadership. A number of NPOs working with South Africa’s young people, including Afrika Tikkun, believe that it is of critical importance that the voices of the most vulnerable are empowered to break the silence around child abuse. Young people need to understand that they can and should hold their guardians accountable for safeguarding their rights, but to do so they need to have faith that adults will listen to them, believe them, and pursue justice for them in a way that protects their dignity and best interests. As adults, we need to acknowledge that we all have a responsibility to protect children from harm and that we should be encouraging them to speak out. On the youth movement front, we need strong, ongoing year-long campaigns that engage directly with young people and their families in order to activate South Africa’s youth. For NPOs like ours, young people are at the core of everything we do. Developmental work is essentially geared towards enhancing the wellbeing, empowerment and protection of the youth of today. Our central belief is that it is possible to end child poverty and its ultimate outcome, youth unemployment. Of course, child protection plays a crucial role within these parameters. Our ongoing efforts are intended to strengthen the capacity of children to speak out against abuse and empower families and communities to care for and protect their children. Youth empowerment is a prevailing tool in combating poverty, crime, violence and poor governance. Empowerment guides youth toward developing a wholesome outlook on life and encourages the personal development of the individual. Through empowerment programmes, we can provide an enabling environment for all these positives to be a possibility and we can help mould children into young adults who can contribute to the successful building of our nation. As NPOs, we are very fortunate to have amazing staff, parents and partners that are all involved in the good work that we are able to achieve daily. As a society and as a family, let us challenge the culture of tolerance for violence and silence when it is perpetrated against young people. We must all work together 24/7/365 – government, NGOs, business and the public alike – to overcome this crisis and positively shape the leaders of tomorrow. Failure to do so could cripple our country’s economic growth, intensify unemployment, and thus poverty and crime.

Memeza Bazokuzwa! Speak out, they will hear you. DM Onyi Nwaneri is group executive for strategy, partnerships and communications at Afrika Tikkun.

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#AfricaMonth: Ubuntu for the future of Africa

Africa’s youth are the future of the continent and the philosophical principle of ubuntu can ensure a brighter tomorrow.

For many South Africans the word ubuntu is steeped in history, believed to have originated around the mid-nineteenth century by the Zulu community. Since the country’s transition to democracy in 1994, the term has become more widely recognised.

In truth it is used around Africa with the same philosophical ideal – to unite pan-African cultures. For example, in Zimbabwe the term is “unhu” and in Malawi “uMunthu”. Even in global popular culture the term has been used in politics, sound and stage.

March was Human Rights Month with the 21st a recognised public holiday commemorating the sacrifices made by South Africans in the struggle for democracy. Not only acknowledged in SA, people around the world are constantly talking about human rights and there is a day specifically earmarked by the United Nations (UN) to celebrate just this – International Human Rights Day is on December 10th every year.

The direct translation of the term is “humanity”, but there is more to it than that. It is essentially the essence of humanity, encapsulating numerous sets of values that are integrated with one another; those of compassion, kindness, sharing and community. It is the connectedness that exists or should exist between people. It is not merely an idea but an action.

Ubuntu is the spirit of Africa. The question is whether South Africa is practising ubuntu, particularly when it comes to the youth of the country.The concept of ubuntu ties in nicely with Africa Day – celebrated annually on May 25th with the intention of acknowledging the ongoing transformation of the African continent and its people, the largest population of which is youth aged 0-24 years.

The direct translation of the term is “humanity”, but there is more to it than that. It is essentially the essence of humanity, encapsulating numerous sets of values that are integrated with one another; those of compassion, kindness, sharing and community. It is the connectedness that exists or should exist between people. It is not merely an idea but an action. Ubuntu is the spirit of Africa. The question is whether South Africa is practising ubuntu, particularly when it comes to the youth of the country.The concept of ubuntu ties in nicely with Africa Day – celebrated annually on May 25th with the intention of acknowledging the ongoing transformation of the African continent and its people, the largest population of which is youth aged 0-24 years.

In 2018 the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation released its annual Goalkeepers report stating that by 2050 the continent will have the largest number of young people. According to the report, Africa is the only continent in the world where the youth population is still growing. As our young people are set to represent a larger and immensely important share of the continent’s population, there is huge potential for growth, but it is essential for skills, finance and human capital investment by business.

Nurturing and empowering youth

According to StatsSA, there are over 120,000 registered non-profit organisations (NPOs) in South Africa with many focused on nurturing and empowering youth. These are NPOs that embody this spirit of Africa and work to make a real impact for the betterment of African society and its future. Similarly, many large organisations and institutions have corporate social responsibility and investment programmes that further support these objectives.

Afrika Tikkun created the Cradle to Career 360º model within which we have provided education, skills, empowerment, nutrition, health and safety services to children from early childhood development to school leaving age for the past 25 years. Our benefactors such as ABSA, Total SA, KFC, Belron, Synthesis Technologies and many others are great examples of South African businesses rolling up their sleeves to realise positive change.

Ubuntu needs to be a movement committed to by all who live, work and play here; by all who benefit from the country’s economy; by all who want to participate in the country’s future.

Like many other internationally earmarked celebration days, each year the official theme of Africa Day changes – this in order to throw a spotlight on the different aspects of the issue at hand. Yet underlying each theme year on year are the same core aspirations.

The African Union’s very first aspiration in their blueprint for African transformation, Agenda 2063, is “a prosperous Africa, based on inclusive growth and sustainable development”. A nod to the fact that Sub-Saharan Africa’s economic growth in the coming decades depends greatly on investment.

Not provided with the opportunities needed to improve their lives, our youth will get stuck in the cycle of poverty with no way out.

“I am because we are”… so are you.

Think local, think African, act in support of Africa’s future.

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The issue of youth unemployment and economic empowerment

Throughout the world it has been revealed that young people are capable of contributing to the economy by working, starting businesses and leading organisations, yet far too many do not have access to the opportunities they need to reach their full potential. In our country this is demonstrated by the number of young people “Not in Education, Employment, or Training” (NEET).

The International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) Global Employment Trends for Youth 2015 report[1] says “73,3 million of the 200 million globally unemployed are young people (aged 15 – 24). Compared to 2012, the youth unemployment rate has decreased by half a percentage point or less in… Sub-Saharan Africa”. The latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey by StatsSA[2] confirms this. South Africa’s unemployment rate decreased by 0,4 of a percentage point between Q4: 2018 and Q4: 2017. They also report that “the unemployment rate for those aged 25 – 34 is double that of the 45 – 54-year-old age group. Approximately 3,2 million (31,1%) out of 10,3 million young people aged 15 – 24 years were NEET’s. The overall NEET rate increased by 1,4 percentage points in Q4: 2018 compared to Q4: 2017”.

In addition, the World Bank Report’s ‘Overcoming Poverty and Inequality in South Africa’ assessment of March 2018[1] states that “despite progress in reducing poverty since 1994, poverty rates remain high for an upper middle-income country… By any measure, South Africa is one of the most unequal countries in the world… Good jobs are the key to future reductions in poverty and inequality”. This was further illustrated by the recent publication by Time Magazine.

According to The Heritage Foundation’s ‘2019 Index of Economic Freedom’[2], South Africa’s “economy is the 102nd freest out of 186 countries. South Africa was able to retain its investment-grade credit rating because of significant policy improvements after President Cyril Ramaphosa took office in February 2018”.

Since his appointment, President Ramaphosa has pledged to reignite growth, rebuild investor confidence and tackle unemployment. He committed to creating at least one million jobs within five years and scaling up the youth-employment program to provide one million paid internships to unemployed people within three years. He also committed to improving the quality of schooling, especially in townships and rural areas, as well as take steps to provide free tertiary education to the poor.

The question is

Is it all up to government to fix this issue, particularly when it has become a crisis that none of us can ignore?

The answer is, no. We believe that it is up to all of us to stand together, and combined, we can achieve a lot more in a shorter space of time – thereby supporting youth to prosper. The realisation of a shared economy has been critical for some time, and yet we are still battling along. It is time for real improvements, fast.

The solution is

Education and work readiness training

Skills like analytical, critical thinking, and emotional quotient (EQ) are future-proof. Even an entry-level employee needs critical thinking, teamwork, conflict management and problem-solving skills. Raising the bar through strengthening the nature and quality of our education system is certainly one of the most voiced ways of solving this problem.

Subsidies, bursaries and internships

Although this is fairly developed in our country, a lot more can be done to provide access for youth to vital tertiary education and work experience opportunities. If all small, medium to large enterprises in our country committed to take one or more young people into their business to gain work experience or support one young person through tertiary education, we would see a significant decrease in the percentage of NEET’s in the country. This will in turn lead to less of the population living below the poverty line. Since 2017, Afrika Tikkun has been engaging Small and medium enterprises (SME’s) on this model and we know it can work.

Financial literacy training and access to financial support

Once employed it’s critical that young people know how to take care of and grow their hard-earned wealth. Furthermore, for entrepreneurs or those starting small concerns, access to financial support is key. There are many programs available that not many youth are aware of. They need to be educated on the options available to them.

The economic empowerment of women

The full inclusion and empowerment of women in South Africa is a prerequisite for breaking the history of our patriarchal society and reducing poverty in the country. According to a recent publication by UN Women[1]: “Women’s economic empowerment includes women’s ability to participate equally in existing markets; their access to and control over productive resources, access to decent work, control over their own time, lives and bodies; and increased voice, agency and meaningful participation in economic decision-making at all levels from the household to international institutions”. When more women work, economies grow. Women’s economic empowerment boosts productivity, increases economic diversification and income equality in addition to other positive development outcomes.

Supporting the disabled

There are over 600,000 children with disabilities in South Africa who have never been to school, and they are one of the most vulnerable and marginalised group of people in our society. That is an incredible number of potentially productive citizens who do not have access to education; who rely on an already strained system for support. Yet there are policies encouraging and rewarding creation of employment for people with disability. Due to the relatively low numbers of children emerging

[1] http://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/economic-empowerment/facts-and-figures

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CHILD PROTECTION SHOULD BE A YEAR-ROUND EFFORT

Each year, government and organisations around the country gear up to mark National Child Protection Week with a multitude of campaigns and programmes designed to raise awareness about children’s rights and provide services for their safety. It is a week aimed at mobilising all sectors of South African society to care for and protect children as the most vulnerable – and valuable – members of our society. But with abuse statistics on the rise, child protection should really be a year-round effort. To give you some examples of how scary this situation is:

A 2017 study by the Children’s Institute of the University of Cape Town reported that one in three children will experience sexual or physical abuse before the age of eighteen. More recently, Parliament heard that 99% of children in South Africa have experienced or witnessed violence and 41% of all reported rape cases in the last three years have been of children.

At Afrika Tikkun we believe that child protection plays a crucial role in our “bigger picture”, which concentrates on youth development and ending youth unemployment in underprivileged communities. So, Afrika Tikkun’s year-long Memeza Bazokuzwa (‘Speak out, they will hear you’) campaign focuses on child protection 24/ 7/ 365 – as it should be.

This ongoing effort is intended to strengthen the capacity of children to speak out against abuse and empower families and communities to care for and protect their children. We believe that it is of critical importance that the voices of the most vulnerable are empowered to break the silence around child abuse. Young people need to understand that they can and should hold their guardians accountable for safeguarding their rights but to do so, they need to have faith that adults will listen to them, believe them and pursue justice for them in a way that protects their dignity and best interests. As adults we need to acknowledge that we all have a responsibility to protect children from harm and that we should be encouraging them to speak out.

We take child protection very seriously at Afrika Tikkun and we are investing a great deal to bring about institutional change towards greater protection for children. For one thing, we have developed the Afrika Tikkun Child Protection Policy based on national and global best practice, and every single staff member is currently being trained to apply it. In addition, we submit the details of every one of our employees to SAPS for clearance and with regard the Child Protection Register.

This year’s global NGO sexual abuse scandal has rocked and saddened us, but it has also strengthened our resolve as a non-profit organisation working with children and youth not to be tarred with the same brush. Non-profits often play a crucial role in representing minority views, as well as policy innovation and advocacy. In respect of child protection, for us this means giving our youth a platform to speak, seeking their council and valuing their leadership.

We help mould children and youth that can contribute to the successful building of our nation, and we are very fortunate to have the amazing staff, parents, support and benefactors that we do – all involved in the good work that we are able to achieve daily.

As a society and as a family, let us challenge the culture of tolerance for violence and silence when it is perpetrated against children.

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Are the human rights of children really that important?

Are the human rights of children really that important? Yes, if we want our children to become the next generation of economically active South African citizens, we need to understand that their capacity to be the best they can be starts first through the acceptance and recognition of their human rights.

March was Human Rights Month with the 21st a recognised public holiday commemorating the sacrifices made by South Africans in the struggle for democracy. Not only acknowledged in SA, people around the world are constantly talking about human rights and there is a day specifically earmarked by the United Nations (UN) to celebrate just this – International Human Rights Day is on December 10th every year.

But why are human rights so important? I’m sure that many will agree, we live in difficult times; and because of this, human rights guarantee people their basic needs, freedom and protection against abuse so that they can take full advantage of opportunities for a better life. For young people this  includes their right to association with both parents, human identity, as well as the basic needs for physical protection, food, universal state-paid education, health care, freedom from discrimination on the basis of  race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, religion, disability, colour, ethnicity etc ; being physically, mentally and emotionally free from abuse, care and nurturing.

Chapter 2 of South Africa’s Constitution includes the highly comprehensive and inclusive Bill of Rights, arguably one of the most progressive in the world today, and yet we are not without stumbling blocks to fulfilling all the aspects set out within it. As such, many NGO’s across the country work with government and the private sector to assist the Bill of Rights come to fruition for all South Africans.

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) reports in their 2016/2017 Trend Analysis[1] that “in the five-year period from 2011/ 2012 – 2015/ 2016 human rights complaints and enquiries rose from 8,149 to 9,238. The highest number of human rights’ violations reported to the Commission was in the category of equality where between 2014/15 and 2015/16 equality complaints jumped from 493 to 749, representing an increase of 34%. In addition, socio-economic rights have consistently been in the top five complaints reported to the Commission, and between 2015/16 and 2016/17 increased drastically from 428 to 631 – an increase of more than 30%”. More significantly, “when these complaints (631) are taken together with other socio-economic rights’ complaints relating to housing (297) and education (289), the total number of socio-economic rights complaints (1,217) exceeds equality complaints (705)”.

Our Bill of Rights stipulates the everyone has the right to life, the right to equality before the law, the right to have their dignity respected and protected, the right to freedom and security, the right to freedom of religion and opinion, the right ­to a basic education, the right ­to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being, and the right to have access to ­health care services, sufficient food and water; and social security.

More importantly for us at Afrika Tikkun are the rights of children, the most vulnerable of our society: every child has the right ­to family or parental care, or to appropriate alternative care; to basic nutrition, education, shelter, health care services and social services; to be protected from maltreatment, neglect or abuse; and to be protected from exploitative labour practices; to freedom and security.

Do you see how that word ‘freedom’ keeps popping up? Possibly more so than adults, children need freedom. The guarantee of security, a stable environment and care enables children the freedom to learn, play and grow as individuals, which in turn encourages problem solving, self-reliant, capable and responsible adults. The freedom to express themselves and have opinions inspires confidence and a positive sense of self.

That said, in the 2017 Child Gauge by the Children’s Institute of the University of Cape Town[1] it was reported that one in three children will experience sexual or physical abuse before the age of eighteen. And more recently, Parliament heard from the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, that 99% of children in South Africa have experienced or witnessed violence, and that 41% of all reported rape cases in the last three years have been of children.

Further, the 2018 Child Gauge[2] notes that South Africa has very high rates of child poverty. “In 2017, 65% of children lived below the upper-bound poverty line… and 36% of children were below the food poverty line, meaning that they were not getting enough nutrition”. They talk about “glaring racial disparities in income poverty: while 72% of African children lived in poor households in 2017, 45% of Coloured children were defined as poor, only 2% of White children lived below this poverty line”. In terms of employment, education and training – according to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey for Q2 of 2018 released by Statistics South Africa[3], “Of the 20,2 million young people in South Africa aged 15-34 years in the second quarter of 2018, 39,3% were not in employment, education or training (NEET) – an increase by 0,4 of a percentage point compared to the second quarter of 2017. The NEET rate increased for black African males and white males… The female NEET rate was higher than that of their male counterparts for all population groups.”

This is not freedom for the children of our nation… who we say are our future and the hope of the nation.

[1] http://www.ci.uct.ac.za/sites/default/files/image_tool/images/367/Child_Gauge/South_African_Child_Gauge_2017/Child_Gauge_2017_lowres.pdf

[2] http://www.statssa.gov.za/?p=11361

Afrika Tikkun is one of a network of organisations working to make SA a better place, protecting the rights of children and young people, and lending support to enable them develop into young adults with the education, skills and value based attitude that gives them the ability to access the economy in real time. We aim to economically empower young people through our Cradle to Career 360° model from early childhood development through to job placement and beyond. Moreover, we offer outreach and support services to children of all ages with programmes such as nutrition and food security, health care, gender-based violence and child abuse programmes, family support and an empowerment programme for children and families living with disabilities.

At our five centres of excellence in Gauteng and Western Cape we have over 12,000 registered young people every year who each receive a comprehensive set of services designed to propel them into success, and we provide additional services to over 10,000 beneficiaries on ad-hoc interventions. In 2018, 2,102 vulnerable families received psycho-social support; 2,206 received primary healthcare services; 659 families of children with disability were supported; 1,381,572 meals were served; 2,143 food parcels were distributed to families in need; 941 kilograms of food was harvested from vegetable gardens; and we handled 57 child protection cases. We also advocate for the rights of women and children, freedom of speech, empowerment and child protection throughout the year with campaigns such as Memeza Bazokuzwa.

All of this in an effort for the children of South Africa to be productive citizens of the future. If we want the country to grow, we have to acknowledge the human rights of all its inhabitants and work together to ensure their safety, freedom, economic advancement and well-being. It takes a village to raise a child.

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