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International Day of the African Child   
June 16, 2011 – “We strongly refuse to swallow an education that is designed to make us slaves in the country of our birth.” This declaration was made to The World newspaper by a South African youth in 1976. The student was one of many angered by the government's decision to have teachers teach in Afrikaans. This decision led to the Soweto student uprising on June 16, 1976. Students assembled that day and marched throughout Soweto. Police attempted to disperse the students. When they refused to leave, the police resorted to force, eventually killing many children. The official death toll was 23, and the injuries were in the hundreds. Since then, June 16 marks the International Day of the African Child to remember those who stood up for their rights to a fair education and the many who lost their lives to the cause. Today, the education system in South Africa is much improved, but still more than 25 percent of students do not enroll in secondary school. Looking at all of southern Africa, that number increases to 70 percent.
CEDPA is working to improve the educational and health outcomes of youth in southern Africa by providing them with the knowledge and skills they need to stay in school. The southern Africa Towards a Better Future program is designed around CEDPA’s successful youth development framework, the Better Life Options and Opportunities Model (BLOOM). The BLOOM approach builds self confidence and self esteem in adolescents, using comprehensive non-formal education curricula, Choose a Future!, which has been adapted to the context of southern Africa. The curriculum focuses on setting goals, values, communication skills, building healthy peer and family relationships, puberty and reproductive health, gender-based violence, community participation and the environment. Ubuntu, a traditional African philosophy focusing on respect and compassion for others, was incorporated into the adaptation. The program initially reached over 1,300 girls in Soweto, Lesotho and Swaziland. Because of the program’s success, it has been extended to target 10 to 14 year old boys in Swaziland. Sessions for the boy’s program will begin in August, but preparations have already begun. Part of the preparations includes communicating with parents. The program’s success relies on parental and community involvement. As adolescents go through the program, they are encouraged to share what they learn with their family members and engage them in discussions relating to the topics covered in the program. However, participants often report they have difficulties with their parents when introducing these new life skills. CEDPA addresses these difficulties through intergenerational communication sessions meant for parents of program participants. The sessions touch on several of the often difficult topics covered in the program. The sessions help the parents realize the topics don’t have to be taboo. “My father was polygamous and had seven wives. Out of all the children of those wives, I was the only girl. He taught me to plow, herd the cattle, fix the fence,” said a 74-year old grandmother attending a recent session. “I think he was teaching me ‘gender’. It is only that we did not know that it was called ‘gender awareness’.” The sessions give the opportunity for the adults to explore the topics before the children raise them. They will be prepared for the conversation, which helps to build confidence in their children. Learn more about CEDPA’s programs in southern Africa. |
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