South Africa’s Youth, From Victims to Victors
Author: Salesian Life Choices
In June 2014, Life Choices launched the ‘30 Stories in 30 Days Campaign’ in order to amplify the voices of South Africa’s youth.
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Each year, the campaign shares inspirational youth stories for the month of June - South Africa’s National Youth Month. The stories showcase the struggles, learnings and the courage of youth. The campaign presents the Born Frees and their personal stories of triumph over adversity. The stories are intimate narratives of personal transformation which fit the theme of “Victim to Victor”. It captures stories that cover a range of issues that young people navigate in their lives including the effects of poverty, mental health issues, abuse and addiction. Life Choices MD, Sofia Neves, explains the main motivation behind the youth campaign: “National Youth Month commemorates the courageous youth behind the Soweto Uprising of 1976. Many lost their lives in that moment of our history and the bravery of the young people who stood up against the brutal system of Apartheid cannot be underestimated. But what we have failed to recognise in contemporary South Africa is the determination and courage of today’s youth who are battling many struggles in the form of social ills. Their resilience and their unique insights are an invaluable contribution that we often overlook or worse deem as irrelevant. The campaign showcases the struggles of today’s youth and their bravery in order to overcome them. The stories are raw and narrated directly by the youth. You can’t read the stories and not appreciate the value of the youth of today.” “Also, youth make up 37% of the population in South Africa but are seldom “heard” in mainstream media. As such, the youth campaign is a platform for youth voices to be amplified and celebrated.” The 2021 campaign will run from the 1st of June to June 16th, which is National Youth Day. |
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How to follow #30StoriesIf you’d like to receive this years’ stories via email, then good news - no further action is required! Since you’re already subscribed to our newsletter, you will receive one story each morning, from 1 June to 16 June. If you would like to follow #30Stories on social media, then tune into our Facebook page each morning from 1 June to 16 June! We greatly value your engagement with our stories and always encourage sharing. You will also be able to read the stories on our website, alongside all the other amazing stories from our previous years’ campaigns! |
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For media enquiries contact: Linda Daniels, Life Choices Communications Officer: (021) 696 4187 / linda@lifechoices.co.za |
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