Teenage Tafelsig boys are being encouraged to make better choices, return to school and help their communities.
Twenty-one young men were identified for a youth masculinity programme presented by YMCA Cape Flats, in partnership with Mitchell’s Plain SAPS, Community Police Forum (CPF) Tafelsig East, West and Hyde Park Subforums; and neighbourhood watches.
A graduation ceremony was held for them at Tafelsig library’s hall on Wednesday August 17 after they completed the first phase of the programme.
Rowan Vermeulen, 16, wants to return to school after being at home with his grandmother for about three years.
He said it was a challenge getting to, being at and getting home from school with gang members threatening and trying to recruit him.
He completed the first phase of the year-long programme to upskill and support youth at risk of falling prey to gangsterism and drugs.
“I want to be a better person. People think bad of me. I want to prove them wrong,” said Rowan.
Facilitator Tebogo Votyeka said the boys had taught and helped him to better understand the community’s challenges.
He explained that the boys were on journey to start a movement in which they learned skills, taught them to others, advocated and became ambassadors to change society.
Mr Votyeka lamented that not many parents and guardians had attended, and said that support was necessary to ensure the boys practised what they learned.
Modules included confidence building, life skills and peer education.
He thanked participants for being themselves and loving each other.
“If we are going to change hearts we need to love each other. Accept each other, cherish and value our imperfections but put love first before anything,” said Mr Votyeka.
Denzil Sampson, from the CPF, congratulated the teens for staying the course and getting into an environment where they could open their minds and be educated about society and life.
“We are building young men,” he said.
“It is all about you and we want to give you our attention and acknowledge the role you play in our lives,” he said.
Mr Sampson said the participants were the “new version of the future”, who would be an example to others, encourage and motivate a better life and way of doing things.
Tafelsig East sector commander Captain Ian Williams, and police station spokesman said it was a collective effort to recruit teens who were roaming the streets, have them in a programme and allow them to achieve something in their lives.
“Tafelsig is labelled as one of the nation’s highest crime areas. There are lots of resources in the area and we want to make contact with our youth before they fall into trouble and change the outcome,” he said.
Many of the teens had not been in school for more than two years and had difficulty concentrating and being in a class environment for up to four hours a day, twice a week.
Mr Williams said they came from difficult circumstances but were willing to step up and forward to realise their dreams.