World Merit South Africa Q1 2019

WM RSA

FEATURES:

Features - Dress Up Your Peer - Worl d M eri t Ni geri a - Cape Tow n LM C

Quarterl y M agazi ne M ay 2019 I ssue #4

W orld Merit South Africa @W orldMeritRSA @W MRSA south.afr ica@w or l dmer it.or g

CONTENTS Regulars President 's Address

4

Edit orial Not e

6

W MRSA Voices

In t er view w it h M CP

14

Hegem on ic m ascu lin it y

16

W MRSA Informat ion

12 & 13

Out reach & Event s

Dress Up Your Peer

8

AYIMUN

10

Cape Town Career Workshop

16

Cape Town LMC

20 -31

Opport unit ies

32

Upcoming Event s

35

PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS

Presi d en t ' s Ad d ress

4

PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS

Greetings Meriters, 2019 marks the second anniversary of World Merit South Africa since its re-birth in 2017. From then, the organization has grown by leaps and bounds. The growth of the organization is attributed to the hard work and passion of the founding members as well as the newly appointed members.

In the last quarter, World merit South Africa has worked very had to promote sustainable development goals and the members have remained vigorously active. An impactful event in this quarter was the blue deal SA panel discussion and hydro net launch which was hosted by Netherlands embassy in South Africa. The discussion was moderated by the President of the national team who was backed by a selected number of the national council members. The discussion was aimed at addressing water challenges and bilateral relations by 2030.

World Merit South Africa was also represented by the founder and National President at the Arab-African Youth platform which was organized by World Youth forum. The event was held in Aswan, Egypt. Selected members of the national council attended the water show Africa 2019 which was focusing on strategy and innovation for water utilities, water boards, partners and end users.

With all the activities and growth, World Merit South Africa is still working towards having a rigid National team which will eventually grow the impact with the take-off of local councils in all the South African provinces. ?Synergy is what happens when one plus one equals ten or hundred or even a thousand! It?s the profound results when two or more respectful human being determine to go beyond their preconceived idea to meet a great challenge.? ? Stephen Covey.

Lead advocate of SDGs Masego Lencwane

5

EDITORIAL NOTE

Editor 's Note

thr oughout the countr y.

Lives have been changed, im pacted and im pr oved and this m agazine issue w ill highlight the jour ney of W M RSA in the past few m onths as it helped r ealize the UN's Sustainable Developm ent Goals, one deed at a tim e.

Gr eetings M er iter s,

M alala Yousafzai said ?I r aise my voice not so that I can shout, but so that those w ithout a voice can be hear d?

Wor ld M er it South Afr ica has gr ow n tr em endously over the past tw o year s into an or ganization that speaks for those w ithout a voice. This has been done thr ough our contr ibution to building South Afr ica thr ough the philanthr opic w or k that our m em ber s have put in 6

As you r ead this issue, w e hope that you w ill be inspir ed and m otivated to be a voice for the voiceless and help m ake South Afr ica a better place.

Happy Reading!

Tlalane Letlhaku Co-founder & Editor

WM AFRICA

WorldMerit Nigeria

by Unoshamisa Chiradza

W or l d Mer it Niger ia, an or ganisation pr oviding a unique pl atfor m for buil ding individual dr eams, pr omoting ideas and show casing achievements w as founded in 2014.

Since then, it has been a movement of vibr ant and passionate Niger ian mil l ennial s car r ying out pr ojects to enhance the success of the Sustainabl e Devel opment Goal s, especial l y in the gr assr oot communities of Niger ia. Led by Pr ince Louis Omol ayo Adek ol a, the cur r ent Business Devel oper for Univer sity of Sussex in W est Afr ica, and he is abl y assisted by 7 member s of the countr y's executive council and over 120 member s spr ead acr oss Niger ia.

W or l d Mer it Niger ia continues to inspir e, and impact l ives, finding innovative sol utions to cr eating a better Niger ia, a better Afr ica for al l .

This amazing team has w or k ed on var ious pr ojects, one such being Pr oject Kampe (meaning ?being good in heal th?), w hose main pur pose w as to addr ess SDG 3 ?Heal th and W el l being?. Thr ough this pr oject the team visits var ious communities and del iver s heal th education and offer s heal th check s. This is done al ong side medical pr ofessional s and community heal th w or k er s.

they al so w ent to the nor ther n par t of Niger ia, and r eached over 500 vil l ager s in Keffi, Nassar aw a State. The focal point of W or l d Mer it Niger ia is col l ective r esponsibil ity w hich is vital to devel opment To engage w ith the team fr om Niger ia connect w ith them on the fol l ow ing pl atfor ms: Wor ld M er it Niger ia

@Wor ldM er it NG

@w or ldm er it n g

Th e Vice Pr esiden t , Olu m ide Ojeleye

+234802548632

On the 30th of December 2018, the team w ith the suppor t of the Par tner ship for Afr ica Devel opment and the Nassar aw a State?s Honour abl e Commissioner of Agr icul tur e attended to the medical needs of peopl e in Ak w anga community. Fol l ow ing this success,

7

OUTREACH

DRESS UP YOUR PEER PROJECT

by N MC

The number of homelessness in South Africa seems to be on a rise with an estimate of 110000 of homeless people just in Johannesburg alone (IOL; 2018) and a walk through Tshwane and Johannesburg metropolitan in the morning highlights the devastating realities of homelessness in South Africa.

There are homeless shelters and several Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) are trying to assist them but they are unable to manage the huge number of homeless people. Women and children are at more risk of sexual abuse, physical and emotional abuse as well the kids right to education being unrealised or falling to traps of drugs and a life of crime. Majority of them don?t have enough clothes or blankets to keep themselves warm at night and during winter season.

Due to this, World Merit South Africa has developed a clothes drive called Dress up Your Peer Drive to try helping the homeless, young people and the elderly in various homes across the country. The drive is particularly aimed at collecting clothes, blankets, toys, educational material and food for those in need. The drive so far has been working with different homes and other youth-led organisations to implement it, this 8

includes huge amount of support and donations received from across South Africa and from Meriters globally.

Above: NM C m em ber s in act ion f or Dr ess Up You r Peer

OUTREACH

On the 8 December 2018, World Merit South Africa visited Kungwini Welfare Centre in Lynwood (Pretoria), Thembalethu Foundation (Johannesburg) and Sunnyside Orphanage Home (Pretoria) to make donations. Kungwini Welfare Centre is a home for people with disabilities and children with special needs; it provides medical care, education and also offers social work services to their immediate community.

Sunnyside Orphanage Home and the Thembalethu Foundation are responsible for the well-being and early childhood development of young people mostly under 25 years old.

We started our 2019 visits with Dress Up Your Peer Drive in February when we visited the Potter ?s House in Pretoria under the Tshwane Leadership Foundation. This is a house for survivors of Violence Against Women and Girls, or Gender Based Violence. After having a an interactive session of 90 minutes, it was followed by another one-on-one session for another 90 minutes to better understand them and establish ways World Merit South Africa and its supporters, partners and more can assist during their stay at the house. At the end of the sessions, we distributed the donations that were received from various good-hearted fellow World Merit supporters.

Above: Bags of clot h es t h at w er e don at ed

We would like to maintain our monthly visits to these homes and to also reach out to more people across the country. To achieve this, we need your help to not only make monetary or non-monetary donations, we also need volunteers who can empower these communities, educate, train a certain skill, and present several opportunities for exposure and more. We need you and they need YOU. Reach out to us through our social media accounts and email to see how you can help us make this a success as from April moving forward.

9

CONFERENCES

Asia Youth International Model United Nations

by Fadzai M an yeza

It?s one thing to represent your country on a

local

platform

and

it?s

another

to

represent your entire continent globally.

These were my thoughts when I was selected

to

attend

International

Model

the

Asia

United

Youth

Nations

in

Bangkok Thailand.

The AYIMUN 2018 brought together 1500 young leaders from all over the world with one main goal, to tackle global issues.

Having

had

been

overwhelming but preparation

was

selected

a tough ahead

of

was

journey in me.

After

sleepless nights of working on speeches and endless research papers the day finally came. A day where my voice was going to be heard.

Out of all delegates ,10 were from Africa and I was one of them. The future of my continent was in my hands. I was representing Namibia in the International Labour Organization addressing mitigating the negative impacts of automation in developing countries. Tempers flew, resolutions were brought forward and failed but in the end one passed and the negotiations room was filled with excitement . The feeling of being part of such a large group bringing about positive change that will ripple to generations was exhilarating.

10

CONFERENCES

An awarding ceremony was then held and nerves filled the room. At one stage I started thinking back and questioning whether I did enough. Whether I spoke enough, contributed enough and brought forward practical solutions. When I heard my name being mentioned as one of the Verbal Commendation award winners the 19 hour flight all became worth it. The sleepless nights, endless speech preparations and the long negotiation session was all worth it. This was me, an African girl going back home with an international United Nations award ready to make a change.

11

WM RSA

VACANT POSI TI ONS Nat ion al Cou n cil - Events Director - Talent & Training Directors (2 Posts) Interested applicants contact south.africa@worldmerit.org

Kim ber ley - 20 Vacant Posts - Currently Team of 4 Members Interested applicants contact south.africa@worldmerit.org Cape Tow n - 10 Vacant Posts - Currently Team of 9 Members Interested applicants contact worldmerit.capetown@gmail.com cc south.africa@worldmerit.org

APPL Y N OW !!!!

12

WM RSA

NMC CONTACT DETAI LS Council

M ember

Position

Email

National Merit Council

south.africa@worldmerit.org

Cape Town Local Merit Council (CapeTown LMC)

worldmerit.capetown@gmail.com

Kimberly Local Merit Council (Kimberly LMC)

worldmerit.kimberly@gmail.com

NM C

Odwa N Mtemby

Founder & President (MCP)

president.zaf@worldmerit.org

Tlalane Letlhaku

Co - Founder

eo.zaf@worldmerit.org

Awodwa Magingi

Director of Marketing and Membership (MCDM)

co.zaf@worldmerit.org

Oregolole Gomolemo Vice President (MCVP)

vp.zaf@worldmerit.org

Makgwale Masha

Director of Partnerships and Positioning (MCDP)

ipo.zaf@worldmerit.org

Masego Lencwane

Lead Advocate for Sustainable Development Goals (MCLA SDG)

wmrsa.mcla@gmail.com

Tebogo Moloi

Lead Advocate for Economic Sustainable Development

wmrsa.mclasde@gmail.com

Gudani Tshikota

Lead Advocate For Social Sustainable Development (MCLA SDS)

wmrsa.mclasds@gmail.com

Neo Komane

Merit Council Regional Ambassador (MCRA)

wmrsa.mcra@gmail.com

Funiwe Ngwenya

Merit Council Director of Social Media and Storytelling

wmrsa.mcds@gmail.com

Fadzai Manyeza

Merit Council National Ambassador (MCNA)

wmrsa.mcna@gmail.com

Unoshamisa Chiradza Merit Council Global

wmrsa.mcga@gmail.com

Ambassador Ompha Malima

Lead Advocate for Political Sustainable Development

wmrsa.mclasdp@gmail.com

Ofentse Modubu

Lead Advocate for Environmental wmrsa.mclasden@gmail.com Sustainable Development (MCLA

Kelebogile Ramafalo

Deputy Director of Social Media and Storytelling

wmrsa.mcdds@gmail.com

Avuzo Ngubo

Secretary and Head of Commnunications

wmrsa.mcshc@gmail.com

Nomakhwezi Magazi

Head of Marketing and Engagements

wmrs.mchme@gmail.com

Tshepiso Moloko

Director of Finance and Fundraising

wmrsa.mcdf@gmail.com

13

WM RSA VOICES

The Import ance of Yout h Volunt eerism and The Impact It Has In Sout h African Socio-polit ics Int erview by Ompha M alima I sat down with our President and Founder, Mr. Odwa Ntsika Mtembu about the importance and impact of youth volunteerism in South Africa. As part of World Merit global, World Merit South Africa is a Non-Profit Organisation that advocates for and implements the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, aimed towards creating an efficient and equitable society.

Q: You st ar t ed volu n t eer in g f r om a you n g age an d u p t o t h is age. Wh at dr ove you t o t h is pat h an d h as it im pact ed you per son ally?

A: I decided to volunteer my time with different stakeholders because I wanted to find a way of giving back to the community using the same knowledge and exposure that my own village has given me. It was also a great opportunity for me to interact with different stakeholders that were already within my career field or other disciplines and that gave me exposure to advance my knowledge, my actions and my network.

Q: Sin ce you co-f ou n ded an d led Wor ld M er it Sou t h Af r ica, w h at im pact h ave you seen an d ar e you sat isf ied so f ar ?

14

A: The impact is satisfactory but is not the best. There is always room for improvement and a greater impact. Which is why through World Merit, I?m advocating for partnerships and collaboration with different organizations, especially those led by young people. As much as one impact or activity might seem small, if they are combined through partnerships, the impact will be more than satisfactory if different stakeholders are involved.

Q: Wh at m akes Wor ld M er it Sou t h Af r ica u n iqu e f or ou r you t h an d w h y do you t h in k t h ey sh ou ld par t icipat e?

A: We are building a world of merit where we don?t ask for their qualifications in terms of being a volunteer or a council member. It?s all about being a person of merit. The

merit in this context is about getting rid of the idea that academics are the only requirement for employment or access to opportunities.

There are people with knowledge and skills but who couldn?t complete their qualifications due to various reasons. It?s all about passion.

However, those with qualifications also work for our advantage in terms of creating the impact that we want to create. We go from policy, to creating a local impact, to engaging on local to global conferences and meetings, and higher-level political forums. We?re covering the entire spectrum so that when another stakeholder or a potential employer needs a flexible person or all-rounder who can debate or engage in policy-making- we?re those people. The headquarters is going to be launching a talent

bank which will make it easier for many organizations to simply go on our website and access a pool of young people.

WM RSA VOICES

Q:

Th er e

is

now companies have

different partnerships,

That also hampers

even shifted into taking

and platforms like

potential funding.

it is on ly t h ose w h o

all the hours that

networking events.

Some people also have

h ave

people have used in

socio-econ om ic-polit ical

volunteering to count

m iscon cept ion

a t h at

expectations that the NPO has to give them a

them towards the years

Q: Wh at ar e t h e

stipend, cover their

of experience.

cu r r en t ch allen ges

travelling expenses or

t h at you r

just want to experience

or gan izat ion

travelling

t h at in Af r ica, it is

Q: Given Sou t h

in clu din g ot h er

opportunities. Most

of t en t h e poor

w ho

Af r ica?s econ om y

Non -Pr of it s f ace w it h

NPOs have tried their

t im e

an d h igh you t h

volu n t eer s

best to motivate people

an d r esou r ces t o t h e

u n em ploym en t , t h er e

w h at ar e t h e r elevan t

through training,

poor . How do w e t h en

is a n eed of sk ills.

in t er ven t ion s t o

access to opportunities

r esolve

How does

addr ess t h em ?

and giving them

Common challenges

ownership of projects

are financial issues

within the organization.

r esou r ces

w ho

volu n t eer

bu t

st u dies

pr ove

ot h er w ise,

dedicat e

sh ow in g

t h eir

t o m ot ivat e

t h e you t h

f r om

all

volu n t eer in g boost

to

t h at gap an d w h at

back gr ou n ds

dedicat e t h eir t im e t o

k in d of exposu r e can

social cau ses? Wh at

t h e you t h

ot h er m iscon cept ion s

exper ien ce af t er

abou t

volu n t eer in g?

volu n t eer in g

w ou ld you like

to

an d

which we?ve been trying to resolve through potential sponsors. The other

Q: In con clu sion w h at ar e you r

gen er al

com m en t s?

A: Most of the

issue is commitment

addr ess?

organizations that I

from volunteers

A: The public sector

A: Firstly, volunteers

know have a lot of

themselves. People

needs to work together

need to communicate

training programs that

sometimes love the

with society. That is the

clearly about the

are crafted into their

idea of volunteering

only way we are going

organizations and

strategies which allows

and affiliating with

to achieve things.

initiatives. The minute

everyone within that

different organizations

People on the ground

you break it down to

space to get some sort

but at a later stage

need to be included in

people that it?s not for

of training to get

complain that nothing

decision-making and

a certain profession,

training internally as

is happening.

this is through NPOs.

then people are able to

well as externally. At

Forgetting that they are

participate. Secondly,

the end of the day each

the ones who should

people find

volunteer is able to say

be driving the entire

volunteering as a waste

that during their years

cause instead of

of time because they

of volunteering with a

waiting for someone

do not get paid. The

certain organization,

else to make impact.

benefits of

they?ve managed to get

Sometimes it

volunteering go beyond

different skills and

disadvantages them

monetary aspects. You

certification in the

when they need

get the connections

things they?ve taken

recommendation

and exposure. The

part in. Some

letters to apply for

?networth?that you can

organisations open

other opportunities

build from volunteering

employment

and maybe a report of

is very amazing! Some

opportunities for their

progress made, which

members through their

they cannot produce.

15

WM RSA VOICES

Hegem on ic m ascu lin it y: A det er r en t of t h e h u m an r ace

women because they were ?different?but then again it was subject to irrationality. Gender inequality affects political, social, economic factors in society.

Polit ical ef f ect s of h egem on ic m ascu lin it y Dating back to old times when women were barred

By Om ph a M alim a

from

traditional

councils

of

elders

and

key

It would not be wise to wholly afford the San, credit of

decision-making, this trend has stubbornly held onto

an egalitarian society but it must be recognised that it

society. First of all, without any doubt, women have the

ended with them after the emergence of the Khoekhoe

right to participate in politics because they are human

and the Xhosa. It all boils down to social strata on the

beings and equal to men. It must also be recognised

basis of wealth. This imbalance of power has been

that the lack of women political participation deters

feeding the power-hungry appetites of men. In her

them from enjoying and appreciating public policy, in

book Southern Theory, Australian sociologist Raewyn

that, by excluding them from decision-making, it

Connell described this as hegemonic masculinity. In

hampers their interests. This leads to great inequalities

Hegemonic Masculinity: Rethinking the Concept, she and

in terms of assets, education and healthcare. Issues

Messerschmidt contend that ?Hegemony did not mean

such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and rape

violence, although it could be supported by force; it

(culture) can be best tackled by women as they

meant

culture,

understand the dynamics and know what they want.

institutions, and persuasion.? All this amounts to

Things that are decided for people and found to be

cheating an egalitarian system, which was practised by

incongruent with their values are just a sham. We

the San. It is like a person scoring a goal and competing

cannot host a No Violence Against Women and Children

with himself to win. It is a travesty for fairness.

summit without the concerned parties to hear their

ascendancy

achieved

through

views. Exclusion of women from decision-making is thus deciding things for them. In democracies there are African culture also views masculinity as superior due to its traits, which are alleged to be unique to it. Things like virtue, strength, power and authority are viewed as endemic to men. If this were true, even though it is not,

three types of decisions- authoritarian, participatory and consultative decisions. Taking the authoritarian route is not

only irrational

but

a travesty for

representation.

it must be made clear that it was perpetuated by injustices of denying women a seat at the high table. In

16

Social ef f ect s of h egem on ic m ascu lin it y

the early 1800s, Khoekhoe women were denied access

From a young age, children are conditioned to behave

to councils of elders and drinking milk without

in certain ways and it is hard to alter learned

rationality.

cattle

behaviours, attitudes, and needs. Girls are expected to

exchanges between the Xhosa, San and the Khoekhoe

cook and clean and boys to do physically strenuous

during intermarriage in a custom called lobolo (bride

work. Boys are taught to be physically and emotionally

wealth). This article is not subject to disrespecting or

strong and girls to be weak and emotionally sensitive.

denouncing traditional cultures; it is just addressing the

This divide brings negative misconceptions on both

lack of rationality in institutionalised norms that have

groups during interaction. Men are ?supposed? to be

been practised for decades. It recognises that South

violent and dominating whilst women must only be

Africans and the whole world must learn to do things

submissive as though servants of a King. It creates a

out of rational necessity and warns against the dangers

sense of disrespect, fear, and jealousy in the gender

of ?going with the flow.?It was only possible to segregate

spectrum. Men are seen as superior and in turn

They

were

also

?sold? through

WM RSA VOICES

command obedience from women, who in turn, are

All societies must strive to advance an equitable agenda

clouded by fear of force or violence. Some men in the

and not that of adversity based on unfounded or

corporate space are reluctant to promote women.

untutored beliefs. Discussing the issue of Gender

Sexual harassment is also quite prevalent and there is

Equality at fora like the United Nations is imperative but

either a lack of policies or implementation. In a

not a cure for all. It must be recognised that

nutshell, this issue is incumbent on society itself and

communities themselves need to take redressive steps

the misconceptions which are embedded into it about

to promote equality, curb violence and foster an

gender

egalitarian

roles.

This

gender

spectrum

destroys

environment.

It

starts from

changing

relationships in general. Domestic violence against

(nonsensical) perceptions of women inferiority and

women

these

making children to be gender sensitive, sound division

misconceptions that women must unreasonably submit

of roles like making boys to also cook and clean. Girls

to men and that they have no say in anything. Romantic

must also be encouraged to partake in ?hard? careers

relationships are eroded in this way because there is no

such as engineering, the military, air and maritime

mutual respect and there is insensitivity to each other ?s

pilotage and emergency services. Everything starts

feelings- men crying are seen as weak and women are

small until it grows big. Communities must always be

seen as nuisances by nature. Children are also normally

cognisant that the role of the State is pluralistic - it

taken care of by their mothers than their fathers- a

serves as a referee and helper in the midst of

divide between parent and child. Fathers are normally

challenges, it does not initiate things. For instance,

feared and seen as villains and mothers as sweet-loving

policy is initiated by communities through their wants

angels and kind listeners to their children.

and needs until the authorities decide what to do.

is

also

prevalent

because

of

There are jails and law enforcement

authorities

because citizens failed to maintain order among Econ om ic ef f ect s of h egem on ic m ascu lin it y Demographical data brings justice to the relation

themselves. Thus the State maintains order and perpetuity.

between population growth and economic growth. The higher the population, the higher the need for employment and thus a good economic outlook.

According to Stats SA, the mid-year female population figures for 2018 are at 51% compared to 49% of males.

The disintegration of women from key aspects such as education, healthcare, safety and security and business opportunities decreases economic productivity. If fewer women are being educated yet they consist of more than half of the population, it drags productivity and a lack of skills in the labour market. If fewer women are involved in business, there is lack of entrepreneurship and that of job creation, leading to unemployment and economic poverty. Negative economic growth in turn, leads to lack of investment opportunities. Inflation and repo rates soar and recessions follow. The poorest of the poorest thus suffer at the mercy of man?s greed.

17

M EETINGS

High Level Political meeting and panel discussion on Blue deal and Hydronet Launch, South Africa

By Awodwa Magingi

Th e Em bassy of Th e Net h er lan ds in Sou t h Af r ica h ost ed a gat h er in g at t h e r esiden ce of t h e am bassador w h er e dif f er en t w at er sect or st ak eh older s w er e discu ssin g issu es on global w at er ch allen ges an d bilat er al r elat ion s in t h e w at er sect or . M r M t em bu w as in vit ed by t h e em bassy t o co-m oder at e t h e pan el discu ssion w it h M s M bali M ah layeye (m em ber

of

You n g Wat er

Pr of ession als) w h er e pan elist s w er e f r om

M u n icipal

In f r ast r u ct u r e Su ppor t Agen t , Wat er Resear ch Com m ission , Depar t m en t of Wat er an d San it at ion an d t h e Du t ch Wat er Au t h or it ies.

18

M EETINGS

Th e pan el discu ssion addr essed issu es of su f f icien t an d clean w at er f or all by 2030 by u sin g t h e Blu e Deal SA as on e of t h e oppor t u n it ies t o t ack le t h ese issu es. Hydr on et is a u ser f r ien dly dash boar d t o access w at er r esou r ce dat a an d in f or m at ion f or a specif ic cat ch m en t . In Sou t h Af r ica, t h e In k om at i-Usu t h u Cat ch m en t M an agem en t Agen cy w as t h e f ir st CM A t o u se t h is dash boar d an d t h ey sh ar ed t h eir exper ien ce, h igh ligh t in g m ost ly t h e ef f ect iven ess of t h e dash boar d an d h ow t h ey u se it t o m an agem en t t h eir w at er r esou r ces.

Wor ld M er it Sou t h Af r ica w as r epr esen t ed by t h e n at ion al of f ice: M r Odw a Nt sik a M t em bu (Fou n der an d Pr esiden t ), Un sh am isa Ch ir adza (Global Am bassador an d Act in g Dir ect or of Talen t & Tr ain in g), Or egolele Gom alem o (Vice Pr esiden t an d Act in g Head of Com m u n icat ion s), Aw odw a M agin gi (Dir ect or of M ar k et in g an d M em ber sh ip an d Act in g Head of M ar k et in g & En gagem en t s) an d Tebogo M oloi (Lead Advocat e f or Econ om ic Su st ain able Developm en t ).

19

LOCAL COUNCILS

Cape Tow n New s KHAYELITSHAFIRERELIEF BYTHABOGUMEDE

On the 20th of October 2018, a raging inferno killed one person, destroyed hundreds of shacks and displaced about a thousand residents in SST Section, Khayelitsha on Saturday morning, 20th October 2018.

ABOUTSST INFORMAL SETTLEMENT

World Merit South Africa embarked on a donation collection drive to assist people left homeless during the devastating fires in SST informal settlement in Khayelitsha. In the notion of Ubuntu, we received an overwhelming support from various people who donated essential items such as clothes,

linen, shoes and toiletries including sanitary towels SST is on e of t h e in f or m al set t lem en t s in Kh ayelit sh a.

Kh ayelit sh a is a par t ially in f or m al t ow n sh ip locat ed on t h e Cape Flat s in Cape Tow n , Sou t h Af r ica. Th n am e Kh ayelit sa is Xh osa an d it s dir ect t r an slat ion m ean s " Ou r New Hom e" , associat ed t o n ew begin n in gs. It is r epu t ed t o be t h e lar gest an d f ast ed gr ow in g t ow n sh ip in Sou t h Af r ica

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LOCAL COUNCILS

STORIESFROMAFFECTED RESIDENTS

Ph at h isw a Pen sele said the fire burned her shack in which she stayed with her boyfriend and her two children, aged one and three. ?When I woke up, the fire had already damaged nearby

Nom veliso Gxiya (37) said she was asleep when

street lights, so I could not see through the black

smoke filled her shack and woke her up. I rushed

smoke. The only thing visible was a huge blaze

out of my shack, saw a huge blaze approaching

coming my way.?

my shack and pulled my children out before I called out to my neighbours,? she said.

Gxiya said she frantically moved out her wardrobe, fridge and bed, but her children?s clothes and another wardrobe burnt. ?I decided to simply move my belongings out and made no effort to put out the fire because it was

" I w at ch ed t h e f ir e as it dest r oyed ot h er sh ack s an d scr eam ed alou d w h en it r each ed m in e."

already big. Besides, the communal taps are located far from my shack,? she said.

Gxiya said the shack dwellers made no attempts to extinguish the fire as they scrambled to pull

She was lucky enough to manage to move out all her belongings, but her shack burned.

their possessions out of their burning shacks.

Wearing a T-shirt, a skirt and slippers, she said: ?I

Pensele said she saved money to buy building

have no clothes other than the ones I?m

materials to erect her shack while working as a

wearing.? She said the fire had left her and her

grape picker at a farm in De Doors in 2004. ?Now

children, aged nine and 19, without a place to lay

I have no money to buy more building material. I

their heads

don?t know where I will sleep tonight,? said Pensele. Currently, she works as a rubbish collector in Blowy. She said her attempts to move her belongings had left her drained of energy.

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LOCAL COUNCILS

Community leader Nobom Twayise said the fire would have not caused so much devastation if the shacks were not built so close to each other. ?We now want the City of Cape Town local government to remove some residents and place them elsewhere so that there can be space between shacks,? she said.

must carry a sick person on the shoulders to a nearby street where ambulances wait.?

Twayise said, ?If the shacks were not closely clustered, the fire-fighters would have easily entered Blowy to douse the blaze and it would not have destroyed so many shacks ? Paramedics can?t enter Blowy; residents

Above: Scen e t h at is f ar t oo com m on in Sou t h Af r ican in f or m al set t lem en t s

Together, we can bring the change we want in our country and beyond starting with our local communities

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LOCAL COUNCILS

LANGACOMMUNITYCLEANUPCHALLENGE BYMARGOADONIS Lailah Gifty Akita once said ?You have a responsibility to keep your homes, surroundings and city clean.? With that she was reminding us that living in a clean neighborhood can restore pride and dignity to the residents of the area.

On Saturday 10th November 2018 World Merit South Africa Cape Town lent a hand on and spent the morning in Langa Community for a community cleanup.

World Merit South Africa?s main objective is to advocate for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and reach implementation before 2030. This campaign was encouraged by the simple lack of services in the community by the local Municipality; this has led to sites of no waste management surrounding the homes of the community members. World Merit Cape Town was joined by WESSA and well as #Emthonjeni Arts Production Organization, A group of young passionate community youth members addressing communal challenges and using arts as the tool towards youth empowerment.

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LOCAL COUNCILS

The cleanup took place from 10:00am till 12:00pm where we cleaned the area around Block H, soon into the cleanup we were joined by kids of the community and assisted us in cleaning their community.

Waste pollution is one of the biggest environmental challenges faced in South Africa, and despite the municipal services provided there is still a great need for promoting awareness surrounding this issue and simply a call to action for society to start taking actions to lessen our carbon footprint and contribution towards waste pollution.

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LOCAL COUNCILS

The simple act of conducting cleanups is but a fraction to the solution that we are faced with but such a simple act not only promotes that platform for awareness but also begins to encourage community outreach and social upliftment. Cleanups are a way of bringing together a community and begin the conversation of becoming part of the change we want to see in our County and in our Communities.

It was a heart-warming site to see volunteers in numbers and soon after to see the kids of the community joins us and take part in an act of selflessness towards cleaning the very streets these kids play in.

As a council we believe that it is in fact our passion and dedication for our advocacies that will help us uplift our communities and promote the awareness on environmental and social issues faced in our Country.

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LOCAL COUNCILS

WM RSA & HYPE COLLABORATION EVENT On the 27th of October 2018, HYPE- UK; in partnership with World Merit South Africa hosted a Vibrant Parks Project in Green Point Park, Cape Town ? HYPE-UK is one of World Merit?s International partners. The vision for the International Vibrant Parks Programme is to attract young people to get involved in the activities of the programme and inspired participants to start similar initiatives in green spaces in their local communities.

Pr esiden t of t h e Cape Tow n Local M er it Cou n cil, Th abo Gu m ede addr essin g t h e gr ou p gat h er ed at Gr een Poin t Par k , Cape Tow n .

On October 2018, HYPE-UK returned to Cape Town for 11 days with a small group of eight (8) students from across the United Kingdom, to assess the progress off their initiatives and perhaps involved more young people in the communities previously. Furthermore, during the visit HYPE delivered coaching and educational programmes to school in Tuscany, Mitchells Plain, Mfuleni and Muizenburg.

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LOCAL COUNCILS

World Merit Cape Town Local Council

In Mitchells Plain and Muizenberg,

members were delighted to join the

HYPE hosted a soccer skills couching

team

October,

programme for young people. The

Saturday, for the fun activities in

programme enabled the youth came

Green Point Park, after a week of

together for the passion for football.

several activities in communities in

Football is considered a universal

Cape Town Area.

language across the world through

The main aim of the event was to

which young people may express their

engage more volunteers, particularly

talent and culture whilst developing

between the ages 16-30; young people

some

to say, to assist delivering the Vibrant

sportsmanship.

on

the

27th

of

sort

of

bond

through

Parks Programmes; In this regard, World Merit Council Members and by-passers in the park become involved in the Nature Quiz and Bug Search in Green Point Park; involving other young people in the game

as

well.

World

Merit

was

particularly instrumental in providing guidance and leadership for assisting young people to understand the 17 UN SDGs and how may be incorporate the SDGs into International Vibrant Park Programme. During the Nature Quiz and Bug Search at Green Point Park, young people were engaged on issues concerning the environment, water resources and well-being of humans through such

as

the

creative activities

Nature

quiz

which

addresses two SDGs, namely; Life on Land (SDGs 15) and Quality Education (SDG 4).

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LOCAL COUNCILS

English Football is an old sport that

each

currently has a large industry. HYPE

respective strengths to achieve UN

uses Football to accomplish the United

SGDs.

Nations Sustainable Goals through the

concepts

facilitation

expression of one?s talent in a society

of

soccer

coaching,

particularly SD3 (Good Health) and

of

us

He

may

integrate

further of

went

our

into

acceptance

the and

where such traits lack.

SDG 4 (Quality Education).

The couches from the UK pointed out

Following on the latter interaction, the

that there was a language barrier that

team

they

be

themselves into small groups lead by

disappointed as football prevailed as

World Merit members leading the

an universal language that connect

HYPE volunteers in a discussion on;

them. Monitoring and evaluation of

Park activities that incorporate the 17

progress was facilitated through and

UN SDGs in local communities. Young

easy target focuses criteria.

people were encourage and guided by

A Dance Workshop was also carried

World

out during the week-long visit as part

members

of the HYPE activities and this placed

people from HYPE to think critically on

focus on SDG 3 Good Health and Well

how to apply available skills and

Being. World Merit Cape Town Council

knowledge in designing Park Activities

President, Mr Thabo Gumede spoke at

that

the gathering of HYPE Volunteers and

Nations Sustainable Goals. After the

the

group

anticipated

World

Merit

to

only

Cape

Council

members, at Green

Parks can assist people in learning each

other, thus

fostering

tolerance. The Vice President of the Cape Town Local Merit Council, Mr Mpumelelo

Mapundu,

shared

the

Gender Equality Campaign run by World

Merit

South

Africa.

Furthermore, He commented on how 28

Green

Merit

are

in

Point

Cape

Town

assisting

focused

discussions,

Park

on

the

the each

slip

council young

United group

presented their ideas in front of the

interactions at events such as Vibrant about

at

whole team.

LOCAL COUNCILS

During the Vibrant Parks event at Green Point Park, I had the opportunity to talk with two HYPE volunteers, Oli and Gabi who both expressed how tiring air travel as the whole trips took 20 days. Gabi is a self proclaimed artist and Oli (18 years old) is a soccer coach from Stock in England. Both young people convey a similar remark on this particular trip, noting that they are being exposed to a different, not-so-nice, side of Cape Town this time around; visiting schools from the Cape Flats in Townships as opposed to visiting the beach at Camps bay.

for HYPE and World Merit South Africa to expand the Vibrant Parks event in Green Point Park to include local media and organisation in creating local platforms of entrepreneurship development, reclaiming public spaces and promotion of gender equality.

Gabi pointed out that Active engagement at Lion?s Head Mountain was helpful in building the confidence of young people involved.

work that they carry out every year

The President of the local council of World Merit South Africa in Cape Town, Mr Thabo Gumede, spoke about World Merit South Africa and its campaigns. He noted that to further build on the efforts of HYPE and World Merit finding new ways of reaching learners and young people from disadvantage backgrounds.

events in the future.

It is our pleasure to have participated in the Vibrant Park Programme, a wonderful humanitarian initiative that encourages the youth and families to take action and live healthier better lives. The World Merit Cape Council would like thank HYPE and Matthew Houghton of HYPE for the amazing and we look forward to seeing HYPE again South Africa for building and re-imagining

future

collaborative

The President added into his remarks by stating that access to intervention initiatives such as Vibrant Parks could generate and catalyse change in the communities of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Furthermore, there is an opportunity 29

LOCAL COUNCILS

JOURNEY TO M ISS EARTH

BY M ARGO TAM ZONE ADONIS

As a young South African woman at the age of 26 I had begun to ask myself the question? what legacy will I leave behind?? By social barriers and societies definition to be an influencer is beauty pageants, public figures and/or entertainer of some kind, but here I was with a passion for Environmental advocacy, passionate about youth empowerment and community outreach and automatically assumed I did not ?fit the criteria? to make a difference and inspire change.

When I heard about the Miss Earth South Africa leadership programme all light bulbs went off as I saw an opportunity to us the passion I have on a much bigger platform and take actions towards the change I wish to see. The journey of campaigning and now being the announced Miss Earth South Africa Ambassador has allowed me to see things differently. The scale of projects varies from cleanups, water conservation talks and planting trees at our schools which allowed me to engage with our learners and inspire them in some way. With every project I have always aimed to impact the lives in some way but the greatest gift is how that moment impacts you as an individual. I am committed to continue to work in our communities and with our youth to create the environmental awareness and green our Country one day at a time.

Above: M ar go edu cat in g t h e lear n er s abou t w at er con ser vat ion du r in g t h e dr ou gh t in t h e West er n Cape, in aid of celebr at in g Wor ld En vir on m en t al Day 2018.

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M ISS EARTH SOUTH AFRICA LEADERSHIP PROGRAM M E

Energy and Water have also become crucial denominators and we need to adapt to these changes and

The Miss Earth South Africa is a leadership programme that aims to empower young South African women with the knowledge and

platform

to

create

a

sustainable

difference in our plight to combat the

build

better

infrastructure

within communities. Our aim is to promote peace, respect and humility towards one another. By so doing we free ourselves to take on the responsibilities we face as human beings.

destruction of our natural heritage. The

As a young woman I will use this opportunity

programme helps to create an awareness of

as an ambassador to advocate for woman

sustainable development, our environment,

empowerment as this will allow me not only

wildlife and the conservation of our natural

to speak out about Environmental Matters

legacy in South Africa, and ultimately the

but begin to address matters of oppression

preservation of Mother Earth.

and use my advocacy to uplift and inspire

Our

goal

is

to

create

sustainability,

the young girls of our future.

citizenship and stewardship through our environmental work. Now more than ever before we as South Africans are experiencing the effects of global warming, climate change and sustainability issues.

Above: M ar go celebr at ed Wor ld River s Day 2018 w it h t h e k ids f r om Fisan t ek r aal Com m u n it y.

31

OPPORTUNITIES

The M entorshi p Program You've been wai ti ng for!!

by Gudani Tshi k ota

So many young people, parti cularly those i n the poorest of the townshi ps suffer a lot of challenges i n thei r everyday li ves and parti cularly i n thei r schooli ng li ves. M any of these young people go through these challenges wi thout any one holdi ng thei r hand or wi lli ng to li sten to them. A world meri t South Afri ca Ini ti ati ve, called Future Presi der presents the mentor you have been wai ti ng for. It presents i tself as a soluti on. We want to hold your hand; we want to li sten to you. We call upon grade 9-12 learners from di sadvantaged communi ti es who would want to be part a li fe changi ng program.

The program already consi sts of mentors from di fferent fi elds; these are your Undergraduate Uni versi ty student, your postgraduate uni versi ty students, youth leaders, i nspi rati onal and phenomenal young men and women who beli eve that young people should tak e thei r ri ghtful place i n the soci al, economi c and poli ti cal stage at all spheres.

We also gi ve thi s opportuni ty to other young people who have fi ni shed hi gh school to si gn up and become mentors. Tak e thi s opportuni ty and become part of a generati on of young change mak ers.You do not want to mi ss thi s, an opportuni ty to have someone who has gone through what you are goi ng through si t wi th you and have honest conversati ons wi thout judgi ng you or even mak i ng you feel uncomfortable or the opportuni ty to become that person for those who are wi lli ng to si gn up and become mentors. Thi s i s the mentorshi p program you have always dreamt of. Thi s i s the mentor you have been wai ti ng for.

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M EETINGS

M eet in g on M ean in gf u l You t h Par t icipat ion in Sexu al Repr odu ct ive an d Healt h Righ t s (SRHR) 2019

By Un osh am isa Ch ir adza

Th is m eet in g t ook place on t h e 27t h an d 28t h of M ar ch 2019 h ost ed by SRHR Af r ica Tr u st (SAT). SAT is a h igh -im pact r egion al Non -Gover n m en t al Or gan isat ion (NGO) w h ich is gear ed t ow ar ds ach ievin g Sexu al an d Repr odu ct ive Healt h Righ t s (SRHR) acr oss East er n an d Sou t h er n Af r ica (ESA). SAT w or k s w it h com m u n it ies, r egion al Non -Gover n m en t al Or gan isat ion s (NGO) an d act ivist s w or k in g f or t h e u n iver sal sexu al an d r epr odu ct ive h ealt h r igh t s f or gir ls, adolescen t s an d you n g w om en in in clu sive, equ it able syst em s f or h ealt h . SAT h as a global f oot pr in t in t h e policy an d advocacy space.

Du e t o a w idespr ead r ecogn it ion t h at , given t h e oppor t u n it y, adolescen t s an d you n g adu lt s cou ld be pow er f u l agen t s of social ch an ge, SAT h ad 4 cou n t r ies (Bot sw an a, M alaw i, Zam bia, Zim babw e) con du ct su r veys on t h e st at e of M ean in gf u l You t h Par t icipat ion in h ealt h . Th e su r vey f in din gs con clu ded t h at , t h er e is st ill r esist an ce t o you t h par t icipat ion , as t h e you t h ar e st ill view ed as ch ildr en w it h ou t en ou gh capacit y t o sit on t h e big decision s t able. Th ou gh in t h ese cou n t r ies, t h er e ar e st r u ct u r es in place f or t h e you t h , m ost in clu de you t h w h o do n ot h ave en ou gh t r ain in g an d developm en t t o be able t o m ean in gf u lly con t r ibu t e t ow ar ds h ealt h r igh t s. Th e ch allen ges f aced by m an y of t h e you t h s h ave n ot det er r ed t h em f r om st ill f igh t in g f or t h eir voices t o be h ear d an d ever y day acr oss Af r ica, m an y you t h s ar e m ak in g a r eal dif f er en ce in t h e policies of t h eir cou n t r ies.

33

EVENTS

WM RSA at the Water Show Afr ica Our national council members attended the Africa Water Show that was held at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg.

34

UPCOM ING EVENTS

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N ot j u st an or gan i zat i on bu t so m u ch m or e...

Joi n Wor l d M er i t t oday !