On Friday a group of around 25 YearBeyond volunteers known as YeBoneers, gathered at Irista Primary School to discuss a range of issues.
YearBeyond, or YeBo, is a youth service partnership between the Western Cape government and various organisations.
It aims to provide 18 to 25-year-olds with a meaningful work experience and pathway to further studies or work while encouraging a culture of active citizenship and volunteerism.
The Yebo Academic programme trains young people to serve as teachers’ assistants and tutors running literacy and numeracy programmes for Grade 3 and 4 learners in under-resourced (low and no fee) schools across the province.
YeBoneers are allocated to a programme mentor who help them develop personal and professional skills. They are supported with weekly reflection and training sessions, held by the mentor so they can implement what they have learnt and can reflect on their personal and professional development.
Grantham Jansen, mentor of the Kuils River/Delft group, invited TygerBurger to attend Friday’s session, along with guest speaker, Peter de Villiers, former Springbok rugby coach, and Dawn Rhoode, pastor and former teacher involved at the school.
On the agenda were hefty issues: mental health, inclusivity about LGBTQ+, abortion, free sanitary pads, service provision, grants and allowances; and job creation.
Discussion
The YeBoneers were encouraged to express their individual viewpoints on the issues. Jansen gently guided the discussion by asking questions or sharing from his own life experience.
They were asked to consider if issues are linked – such as the effect on a person’s mental health if their gender or sexual identity is not accepted by family or society.
Participants mentioned LGBTQ+ family members, in some cases being accepted, in others ostracised. Viewpoints ranged from “it’s a sin, but not for us to judge” to “let people be what they want to be”.
In between some controversial viewpoints, Jansen reminded: “we listen with curiosity, and respect each other’s feelings. If something does not sit well with us, it does not make (the person) wrong, it’s an opinion.”
He asked whether a link could be made to abortion.
“I have heard of people being raped to ‘change’. Females that are ‘butch’ are raped to show them they are girls. This is happening, but we should not be quiet about it.”
One participant said people are judgmental towards those who had an abortion, even if the pregnancy was due to sexual abuse.
“If a child was conceived because of rape, they are going to be broken. The child will go to an orphanage where services are not strong, they are not loved. If the parent is broken, the child is also going be to be broken.”
A man in the group said: “Condoms are free, sanitary pads are not. Abortion: it comes down to safe sex. If you decided you want to give a child up and know the consequences, it is your decision whether people support it or not.”
Jumping back to LGBTQ+ a woman said, “it has always been there, but people could not express themselves because of the mindset in ‘old times’. Today we go for what we want, we are proud enough to show ourselves.”
“We heard of children being raped by their father. It will destroy the child’s mindset to know they don’t belong. Some people don’t see adoption as an option – that child will come look for you. I will have to answer that question of the child.”
De Villiers said everyone has male and female components within themselves, but he “takes on his responsibilities of what God decided me to be”.
He argued government failed in making new laws that made it easier “for us to run away from responsibilities – to be the weaker one that is in you”.
In sharing a few controversial views, he said; “I’m devil’s advocate here. I’m not telling you what to do or choose. We agree, we can’t judge, I don’t have that right.”
Rhoode who works in victim support and is involved with gender-based violence workshops, told of a child that was born after rape who became a role model and caregiver to the mother, to show “the other side of the coin.”
She shared from her teaching experience. “When you come to school, working with these little ones you need to show them love, because you don’t know where they come from.”
One participant was very passionate about the free sanitary pads debate.
“I want our government to know that having sex is a choice but having your period is not. Our government should make pads free. I thank the organisations that give out free pads.”
Her passion stems from knowing people who are too scared to ask money for pads or find it difficult to ask from a friend. “Some poor families can’t afford it.”
Another added girls missing school during their period which affects their education.
Services and grants
Points mentioned on service provision included not having easy access to facilities such as libraries and health care. Certain clinics only cater for children up to 12 years whereafter they must travel further. Services were also said to be not as effective as it should be or being overwhelmed.
There were also different perspectives on grants and allowances.
“The R350 allowance must be removed. People are getting money for nothing and not motivated to look for work.
‘‘Or give it to those who really need it.”
One person felt issues around services and grants stem from “the environment we grow up in, the things we see and hear.”
She pleaded, although government are part of the problem ‘‘at the core”, people should think about changing themself through education to improve the bigger picture.
“There are jobs, but the qualifications are not there.” She felt people give up too easily because of poverty, hearing of corruption, and just fell in line (for allowances). “We must think: get out of line, change something.”
A participant who said she does not have parents pleaded the child grant is not enough for a child with no support system. ‘’Does the president’s child get R1 000?” she asked. “At 21 the grant is over but you’re still studying and still need money to finish studies.” She felt government should help these children with free education.
“They say NSFAS is free, it’s not, you must pay back.”
Jansen said; “In all of this there are two sides of the coin.” He said the discussion was about creating awareness and not necessarily changing minds,. “You’ve shared your lived experience that determines your mindset.”
The YeBoneers will become aware of their role to be social change agents, he said. “What can you do to change it out there.”
Their “Future Fit” Friday session discussions always end off with everyone sharing ‘their aha-moment’, Jansen explained.
Feedback included, it was good to share problems they deal with as “youth and future leaders”, getting an idea of everyone’s different views, good to speak about things that’s “been on minds but not necessarily spoken about”, and to discuss things that need to change.
Take-aways included, “do not judge others, let people be what they want to be”, and ‘‘remember to be kind’’.
Rhoode said she enjoyed the vibrant discussion and offered her support with teaching skills.
Choices
YeBoneers who were scared to speak in their interview, now speak freely, Jansen said. “If I measure the growth we’ve had from the first day in orientation to now, its massive.”
He added “disrespect will come in if we don’t manage ourselves. It starts with me: always look first at the self before we look to others.”
Jansen is from the Association for Choice Theory South Africa (Act SA), an implementing partner of YearBeyond. He explained Choice Theory deals with how people are responsible for their own behaviour and choices and taking responsibility for their choices.
Irista’s principal, Francois van Wyk, said YearBeyond brings a glimmer of hope for the schools’ learners, who “are deprived on all levels – economically, socially, culturally”.
The YeBoneers placed at Irista will assist in preparing the Grade 3 learners for the educational department’s systemic tests for mathematics and language that is moderated externally. The YeBo Academic Programme is designed as a catch-up intervention to assist learners in closing their foundational literacy and numeracy gaps.
The school’s experience with Yeboneers has always been positive. “They’ve never posted a threat to any of our learners”, Van Wyk said.
