The Pietermaritzburg Agency Community Social Action (PACSA), working within uMgungundlovu Municipality has launched its new Youth programme, called the Youth Street Survivors program.
The launch event was held on the 20th of June 2019, at the Mandela Park in the east of the Pietermaritzburg CBD. “I am happy with this level of attendance .The main intention is not to have the initiative only to be the initiative of June month, but everything we will be doing in all activities we must be able to say next year this time, here is a street survivor who has been able to make it to the mainstream of society and various spaces”, said Nqabakazi Mathe the PACSA Director YSS launch.
PACSA created a safe space where the youth living on the street can meet and share the ideas on problems facing them. The organisation has dedicated their efforts towards the information dissemination among the youth, towards the creation of platforms for networking.
“Nothing about us without us”, during the launch the streets survivors shared their stories, citing their daily struggles and their wishes for the future. “We are misunderstood, not all of us are pick-pocketing around the streets, and some of us are earning a living by helping carry groceries to the taxi ranks, wash cars, and fetch water for the taxi drivers. In the streets we are the victims of brutal violence if someone lost anything they come beat us up, without any clarity of whether was it me or whoever, we bear the blame that we are often not responsible for. Sometimes they burn our blankets” Nhlakanipho the YSS sharing his story at the launch. Some of them were looking for ways to stop using drugs, to which they are now addicted to.
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(YSS playing soccer and netball with members of PACSA’s community partners/groups)
During the launch soccer, netball, teambuilding and board games were played by the community representatives, together with the YSS; the aim was to create mutual beneficial relations amongst the community and the youth street survivors. The YSS appreciated the initiative, to be able to get the rare opportunity to just have fun. They expressed that they were happy to take part in all the activities of the day. At the end of the launch, they were given clothes, blankets that had been donated by various organizations, businesses, individuals and by the Department of Sport and recreation.
PACSA have highlighted that these young people are a manifestation of the socio-economic problems that they experienced together with their families in the communities that has led to their marginalization. They are defenseless victims of brutal violence, sexual exploitation and sex tourism, abject neglect, chemical addiction, human trafficking and human rights violations. PACSA believes that urgent interventions are needed to reintegrate them with their communities and families.
Youth in the streets face a systematic discrimination and are at higher risk of being harmed and are denied a voice. Advocacy is at the hearts of our mission to build a world that protects and respects the youth who are at risk. We seek to journey with them, so that they may be able to advocate for themselves and to make sure they are listened to.
By PACSA Team
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Donated blankets
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Attendees of the YSS launch
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The workshop theme was “ Moving from Faith to Action” with the aim of showcasing the work and experiences of faith leaders in the spaces of SRHR. Faith-based institutions and networks have inherent power and exert influence as policymakers and civil society leaders as they uphold religious doctrines and practices. Religion has a unique power of tackling structural issues, transforming gender and power relations, norms and values, is critical to ending poverty and challenging inequality. The role of religion as a driver of positive change towards social justice was also discussed. The participants agreed that concerted efforts have to be made towards engaging religious leaders and institutions for positive change and upholding human rights, gender equality and just communities.
