National Youth Development Outreach (NYDO)

  “If you’re going to rise, you must as well shine” – words that still echo in Karabo’s mind, a 16-year-old boy who attended the Rise and Shine programme at NYDO and chanted those very words before and after every session. Karabo acknowledged that the programme came at the right time in his life – a time his behaviour was spiralling out of control. He says that should he had not been enrolled in the programme, he would have either dropped out of school, been homeless, or worse, dead.   Karabo was not doing well in his studies, he had also started experimenting with drugs (dagga) and stealing. He started off by taking money from his mother’s purse to stealing a classmate’s cellphone until he graduated into mugging people in unsecured public spaces. He reported that he wanted money and did not know any other way than taking it from people or stealing items that he could sell for money. He gambled the money by playing a game of dice (a popular street gambling game in townships) a...

  Bullying comes in different forms. It is important that we familiarise ourselves with acceptable and unacceptable socialising manners so that we may avoid being bullies. Some people are aware of their offending behaviour (bullying tendencies) while others are genuinely unaware. Knowing types of bullying will help us identify and choose our actions towards other people.   6 types of bullying: (Ref: Gordon & Morin 2019) Physical Bullying (physical bullying includes kicking, hitting, punching, slapping, shoving, and other physical attacks). Verbal Bullying (verbal bullying uses words, statements, and name-calling to over-power the victim and also have control over them). Relational Aggression (sometimes referred to as emotional bullying, relational aggression is a type of social manipulation where people try to hurt or sabotage others' social standing). Cyberbullying (cyberbullying includes posting hurtful images (pics), making online threats, and sending hurtful emails or ...

  The Coronavirus pandemic has affected the way people work, connect with others, and how they carry out daily activities. Necessary measures were recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the health sector for people to adhere to such as sanitizing and washing hands regularly, wearing mask at all times, and keeping social distance.   It has been increasingly observed that people get used to these regulations and start ignoring most of the guidelines. In the midst of everything, there are common mistakes that people continue to make. This article therefore aims to remind us of the mistakes we should avoid.   People focus on what is allowed rather than what is safe People often feel like they can get into contact and mix freely with friends (especially young people) because they believe they are not at high risk. They then go back to their homes where there are elderly people whom research has proved are at a higher risk. Fact: Social distancing rule a...

Teens can bring both joy and frustration to parents. There can be many reasons for immense pride in how your child is growing up and accomplish goals, but there are bound to be a few struggles along the way.  It might be academic challenges, risky behaviours, or straight-up rudeness, and none of that is easy to deal with. However, parents might also enjoy seeing their teens land the starring role in a musical, be a star sports team, get a driver’s license, it is all about balancing and remembering both the challenges and the bliss of parenting a teen.   PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT Key Milestones: The need for sleep increases and the times change, given a teenager’s biological wiring for staying up and waking up later. Boys continue to grow and mature physically, sprouting facial hair. Both genders, but particularly girls, are consumed with looks and fitting in. Parenting Tip : Your teenager’s future is right around the corner, whether it involves college, university, a job, or otherw...