Month: November 2019

Many give up once they fail. Not Brutus Maake. After failing Grade 9 in 2017, Brutus saw this as an opportunity to seek help. He heard about Afrika Tikkun from friends and decided to visit the centre and find out more. A a week later Brutus enrolled in the CYD programme.

Two years into the journey, 19 year old Brutus is in Grade 11 and sees a great improvement in his academics. However, for everyone around him, the biggest surprise was Brutus evolving from a shy young man to a great, outspoken leader. Brutus says Afrika Tikkun has not only helped him acquire skills but also helped him to discover his true strength. From someone who never thought he had anything to offer, Brutus, once he began working with the facilitators and his peers, realised that his past failures do not define him. With pride, he now serves as a mentee at camps and also a Junior Social Researcher. Brutus sees himself as a great lawyer one day but also serving his community, perhaps as a respected politician and public speaker.

Brutus’s brilliance and leadership shone through the 2019 Quiz and Debate Competition as he led his debating team to victory.

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According to the UN, there are 1.2 billion young people aged 15 – 24 years across the world, which accounts for 16% of the global population. They are almost three times more likely to be unemployed than adults and continuously exposed to lower quality jobs and greater labour market inequalities. In addition, it is young women who more likely to be unemployed or underpaid, causing them to accept part-time or temporary contract work. Like Afrika Tikkun, the UN believes that the active engagement of youth in sustainable development efforts is central to achieving inclusive and stable societies and preventing challenges such as unemployment, poverty, gender inequality and conflict.

Relative to South Africa, Statistics SA confirms the above facts in their latest Labour Force Survey reporting that ‘the working age population (15 – 64 years) in South Africa increased by 149,000 in the first quarter of 2019’. This would be good news for most countries; however, in South Africa ‘the unemployment rate between Q1 2019 and Q4 2018 also increased due to a decline of 237,000 in the number of people in employment’. In this same report it is stated that ‘of the 20,3 million young people aged 15-34 years, 40.7% were not in employment, education or training (NEET) – an increase of 1.8% compared to the fourth quarter of 2018’. Unemployment in the country is at an all-time high. This is not good news.

So how do we as individuals and organisations address this issue and contribute to a viable and sustainable solution? Obviously, we cannot create hundreds of thousands of jobs out of thin air and we cannot rely solely on government to achieve this either.

In 2018, Bonang Mohale, CEO at Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA), published a book titled Lift as you rise, in which he talked about the concept of Ubuntu and acting for the greater good of our fellow countrymen. The sentiments published in this book are directly related to how we as a people can be part of positive change. In his book he says, “You don’t have to wait until you are called a chairman, CEO or managing director – extend a hand and lift someone who is slightly less fortunate than yourself. That’s how you build a people” … “I have tried to live my life with these old family values, the same way my grandmother brought me up in saying lift others as you rise because that is what is required and expected of you” … “Selflessness is a notion that says I will do it even though no one is watching, I will do it even though there is no recognition and I will do it because it is a moral obligation”. Inspirational words to say the least, and certainly a goal that we should all be aspiring to.

The answer to the question therefore lies in working together to develop a pipeline of young people who are well positioned to take on the scarce and critical skills our country needs, as well as be able to engage and meaningfully fulfil the requirements of the jobs of the future.

The key to achieving this lies in corporate citizenship – the investment a business makes in the local community or society as a whole. Corporate citizenship cuts across all players in the private sector, from SMMEs to big business.

Internships and work experience programmes, for example, are arguably one of the best ways to stimulate job creation. It is an effective way to integrate unemployed and inexperienced youth into the formal economy and assist them to improve their long-term career prospects. By arming them with practical work experience. And businesses can benefit too: internships allow businesses to increase staff quantity at a relatively low cost and increase staff quality by growing their talent pool and training up youth for specific placements. Thus enabling interns to add value to the core business.

In the long term, businesses can be an invaluable part of the unemployment solution in South Africa. As we know, with increased levels of employment a country fairs better on all fronts – job creation lends itself to strengthening social development and increased spending power means a thriving economy; all in all, a more optimistic life for all citizens. It is a win-win and it is clear: skills advancement and practical work experience, plus corporate citizenship means more opportunities for young people.

This is most certainly what the father of our nation intended when he took office, “driven by an unshakeable belief in the equality of all people”. Established in 1994, it was in 1999 that the then Tikkun ‘project’ was visited by former president Nelson Mandela, who was so impressed by what he saw that he volunteered to become its Patron-in-Chief. Years later and Afrika Tikkun is a fully-fledged Not for Profit company and organisation with public benefit status, still living up to the inspiring ideologies of Tata Madiba: “What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead”.

With corporate citizenship and conscious leadership on the rise South Africa is on a trajectory for success, but it will take the entire country and all her people as a single unit to solve the crisis of unemployment and keep that trajectory true to its course.

[1] http://www.statssa.gov.za/?p=12115

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On Saturday, 26 October 2019 Afrika Tikkun hosed an annual academic competition – a Spelling Bee aimed at young people in their Child and Youth Development (CYD) programme aged seven to eighteen.

Amongst other interventions, the event serves to inspire learning and improve literacy. CEO of Afrika Tikkun Services, Onyi Nwaneri says, “Literacy is fundamental to learning. It is the foundation of education. When we teach children to read and write, we instil a love for learning and equip them with skills that will be used throughout their lives. We cannot stress enough the importance of literacy in a child’s development”.

In addition, the Spelling Bee encourages the development of a range of cognitive proficiencies including the ability to handle pressure, public speaking capabilities and knowledge retention. Beyond this, it develops self-confidence and aids young people in learning concepts and life skills.

Congratulations to the young winners of this year’s Spelling Bee:

• 7 – 9 years: Ntokozo Mtshali from Arekopaneng Centre in Orange Farm
• 10 – 12 years: Siyabonga Malazi from Uthando Centre in Braamfontein
• 13 – 15 years: Aviwe Makhaba from Arekopaneng Centre, Orange Farm
• 16 – 18 years: Katlego Fobane from Phutaditjaba Centre, Alexandra

For more information on Afrika Tikkun and their initiatives call 011 325 5914, email info@afrikatikkun.org or visit www.afrikatikkun.org.

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During the month of October, Afrika Tikkun hosts two annual academic competitions aimed at young people in their Child and Youth Development (CYD) programme aged seven to eighteen. Amongst other interventions, these two particular events inspire learning and improves literacy by providing young people with a positive goal to work towards and a forum in which they can showcase the fruits of their labour.

“Literacy is fundamental to learning”, says CEO of Afrika Tikkun Services, Onyi Nwaneri. “It is the foundation of education. When we teach children to read and write, we instil a love for learning and equip them with skills that will be used throughout their lives. We cannot stress enough the importance of literacy in a child’s development”.

The first competition was the Annual Quiz and Debate – two separate competitions under one umbrella that bring to life the subjects of history, geography, world events and current affairs. Both provide young people with the opportunity to develop their critical and creative thinking, information literacy skills and problem-solving abilities. It presents an opportunity for young people to work within a team to offer logical arguments and requires a skill set that translates directly into academic, social and professional application that stays with them into adulthood.

The second annual event is the Spelling Bee – an important educational tool used by schools worldwide to improve not only the vocabulary and spelling of learners, but also comprehension and study skills. In addition, the Spelling Bee encourages the development of a range of cognitive proficiencies including the ability to handle pressure, public speaking capabilities and knowledge retention.

Both of these activities extend beyond language as they aid young people in learning concepts and life skills. For example, during the Spelling Bee competition young people are required to speak on stage in front of a crowd, which develops their self-confidence. The team Quiz and Debate encourages children to interact with their fellow participants and cultivate friendships.

Both competitions stimulate brain activity and afford young people the opportunity to engage in healthy competition. They teach youth to accept their mistakes whilst also providing the recognition that their hard work deserves.

For both events this year Afrika Tikkun has had the support of Rookie USA ZA, a kids only multi-brand online retail destination offering a collection of iconic apparel brands such as Converse, Nike, Jordan, Hurley and Levi. With a focus on young people, Rookie USA is the perfect partner for events focused on developing the youth. Their involvement in 2019 includes sponsoring prizes as well as a monetary donation of R50,000, meeting their target of a R1,000 donation per social media post by a well-known South African influencer. Rookie USA Brand and Marketing Manager, Lee-Anne McKenzie says, “We are privileged to have been a part of Afrika Tikkun’s initiatives. There is no better feeling than impacting young people’s lives in a profound way. We hope that this is the start of a prosperous relationship between Rookie USA and Afrika Tikkun, it makes us smile to see the new friendships established with the kids”.

Other sponsors included HSBC, BIC and Egon Zehnder; all supporters of South African youth development.

Afrika Tikkun’s Child and Youth Development (CYD) programme runs a range of holistic interventions which create an environment that inspires learning and growth. These two events form only a fraction of the annual activities Afrika Tikkun hosts in order to raise intelligent and strong young people that will enter the working world as productive citizens.

Nwaneri concludes, “Interventions such as these surely spell success for the future of Afrika Tikkuns young people”.

For more information on Afrika Tikkun and their initiatives call 011 325 5914, email info@afrikatikkun.org or visit www.afrikatikkun.org.

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Cape Town – Thirteen girls from the Cape Flats graduated through the Afrika Tikkun strategic empowerment programme aimed at training disadvantaged youth for job and business opportunities.

These girls, who graduated in hair and beauty, showcased the quality of their skills at a promotion at McQueens Salon in Sea Point on Tuesday.

This project is part of Afrika Tikkun’s career development programme, which aims to provide unemployed youth with the skills to operate a home-based salon.

This non-profit organisation just celebrated its 25th birthday and operates five centres in townships in Joburg and Cape Town.

Shaun Unterslak, who runs this empowerment programme on behalf of Afrika Tikkun, said: “My aim is to assist young black people to find gainful employment in the suburbs, in this case from the Cape Flats, and show them they have what it takes to succeed in the suburbs, as this has a huge impact on their communities, which are Mfuleni, Delft and Blue Downs. With December being the peak period in this industry, it is a perfect time to notify salons of the availability of skilled therapists. These young people have the necessary skills, however, not everyone has the ability to do their own marketing and build a business.

“That’s how we get in.”

Graduate Zoliwe Thame, 30, from Mfuleni, said: “I am passionate about hair and make-up and the programme has equipped me with the necessary valuable training and skills that will help me in this demanding and competitive field.

“Ultimately I want to open my own salon in my township while creating job opportunities for other girls.”

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