We work with our local partner in rural South Africa to give young people a voice and empower them to create positive change in their own communities.
The program teaches youth to design their own solutions to social or environmental problems through social entrepreneurship and activism.
The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals are used as an inspirational and educational tool when relating global goals and targets to local concerns and practical solutions, and a specific focus is put on women’s empowerment.
The youth is also introduced to the arts, such as music and radio, film & videography, art journaling and dance. We believe that art can confront stigmatization and prejudice in segregated communities by focusing on what people have in common.
During the program the youth build up their confidence and learn how to problem-solve through critical and creative thinking. They work with Design Thinking as a structured framework and method to identify problems or challenges, gather information in the field, brainstorm possible solutions and bring their ideas to life. The goal is to teach them how to find solutions to social or environmental problems or injustice which also affect their every-day lives. The youth take action against these, develop social entrepreneurship projects meeting those challenges, and work to sustain their actions in the community.
In their work in the community our local partner continues to be confronted with structural inequities in gender relations. They meet young women in Grabouw and Elgin Valley who are not offered the same opportunities as young men, which ultimately lead to them feeling insecure of their own capacities. It is therefore important that young women make up at least 50-60 % of the participants in the program.
