Whether on Youth Day or any other day, there is no hiding from the fact that the Eastern Cape’s unemployment rate among those aged 15 to 34 is 54 per cent.
When one in every two of their peers is jobless, it is very easy to lose hope.
But all is not lost, argues Jono Kruger from the youth-development organisation EduSport as the country prepares to put the plight of tomorrow’s leaders in the spotlight on Tuesday.
“My wish is that they realise they are the province’s greatest asset, hold onto hope and keep moving forward.”
That is crucial, he explains, “because the power of one opportunity can change everything”.
Having been instrumental in creating positive outcomes for so many young people from Mdantsane, just outside East London, he urges their peers to never give up.
He points at the example of a young literacy coach from the township who came to his organisation without any work experience, direction in life or confidence.
She recently qualified to study towards a diploma in business management and has set her sights on becoming a teacher.
EduSport’s Champ Box programme aims to give hope to the young people of the Eastern Cape. Photo: Supplied
Similarly, he says, EduSport’s U13 Cubs netball team are beating sides from the top schools in the region where, before, they did not even have the opportunity to play the game.
Then there is Ahayiya Mazwa, who was introduced to rugby through the organisation’s Champ Box programme and now finds himself in Border’s U12 team.
“We’ve spoken about youth unemployment for decades but talking doesn’t change a young person’s life – action does,” Kruger said.
EduSport, in partnership with the Sport for Social Change Network (SSCN), will provide just such an opportunity on Youth Day when they present a two-day coaching clinic for 60 children at Kidd’s Beach.
Walking the walk is important to Kruger, who made headlines last year when he ran from Cape Town to Buffalo City to highlight social, economic and spatial inequality among communities.
His effort, backed by the SPAR Group and stores in Mdantsane, was used as a platform to promote the company’s Coach-in-a-Box initiative, recently rebranded as Champ Box.
It empowers unemployed youth in the township to coach rugby, soccer and netball at schools in return for a stipend. Each box contains equipment relevant to a specific sports code.
Also included are literacy and numeracy learning materials, with the subject matter emphasising the risks children face while equipping them with the skills to negotiate such challenges.
Kruger says the project’s “protective-factor approach” is resonating with teachers and principals in the region as the children are responding positively to it.
He constantly receives requests from schools and communities wanting to be part of the drive.
Champ Box exists because it is fruitless to wait for perfect conditions or big solutions, he adds.