New Beginnings

in July 2011 - Community Caring

Teen pregnancies, drug addiction, increasing crime rates and unemployment – these are only some of the problems that the youth of South Africa are faced with.

Growing up we all have dreams such as; being an astronaut, the next rockstar or  a Hollywood actress, more often than not these secret ambitions are what keep us motivated. Others however are less fortunate, and dream of a life without being terrorized by guns and gangs, a life where at the age of 16 they are not the sole providers and/or caretakers of a household and a life where prostitution is not the means to escape from their circumstances.

In the Western Cape, only 22% of all young adults complete Grade 12, only 5% of learners in Grade 8 can read and write and a mere 2% can perform maths at the required age level. The teen pregnancy statistics show that between 12-14% of teenage girls fall pregnant.

Difficulties associated with growing up in an environment of abuse, drug addiction and poverty are frequently the reason behind joining a gang. However, even though gang membership gives youths a sense of belonging, it comes at a price. Members are encouraged to use and sell drugs and initiations entail criminal acts of assault, rape and theft (to name a few).

Recognising the need for an alternative to this destructive lifestyle, and to all other youth intervention methods, LifeXchange placed their focus on the developing an intervention process which would make a lasting change, the Holistic Sustainable Transformation of Youth-at-risk. In September 2007 they opened their doors to Cape Town’s youth with an intervention programme aimed at youth at risk who come from a rough living environment surrounded by poverty, drugs, abuse and crime.

“Our youth-at-risk uses The Holistic Life Mentoring Process (HLMP) to help those who have been prohibited to develop due to the environment they have been brought up in and their circumstances. This is where a one-on-one relationship is developed between mentor and mentee where they share and learn life together.  The duration of the mentor cycle is five to six years. We offer mentees a chance at a new beginning, and give them support and keep them motivated,” says Cobus Oosthuizen, the Chief Executive officer at LifeXchange.

The HLMP targets individuals between the ages of 15 - 25 with high risk behaviour and places focus on meeting the individual’s developmental needs.

“We do this through the HLMP’s three components; extreme sport, mentoring and support networking,” says Cobus.

Firstly, as many of the youths in this programme have never had the opportunity to experience a life outside their environment, the introduction of sports and adventure activities such as; scuba diving, rock climbing, kayaking, surfing, hiking (to name a few) removes them from the high risk area and educates them.

“We start by teaching them basic skills depending on where the individuals specific needs are which could vary from something as simple as eating with a knife and fork, learning to read and write to eventually becoming a qualified commercial diver or paramedic.”

All mentors are screened through an application process, undergo two months of training and are required to meet with their mentees weekly. During the HLMP the individual is supported and encouraged to change a risky lifestyle and primary focus is on each individual reaching their full potential and through that the necessity of employment and education is fulfilled. In the last phase of the mentor cycle, the mentees are trained to become mentors themselves.

Individuals within the HLMP are provided with various counselling options – personal, trauma, and guidance counselling (to name a few). They are also provided with a range of practical and academic courses to choose from.

“We try to present them with opportunities they haven’t had to open up their eyes to what possibilities the world offers, so job shadowing and applying for bursaries are part of this process,” states Cobus.

LifeXchange has had many success stories since their inception; hence the team’s next goal is to reach people outside of Cape Town’s Southern Peninsula – “we want our programme to become an example for other organisations.” 

Apart from the mentor programme, LifeXchange is also trying to establish a house of safety/halfway house.

“We want to offer mentees a place where they can be safe – remove them from their harmful surroundings while they are working at getting their lives in order,” says Cobus.

This organisation’s total annual cost per youth is R21 180 and as a NPO dependent upon contributions, donations and sponsorships – it limits the amount of young individuals they can help. Volunteers and the assistance of tertiary education institutes are also needed.

LifeXchange is making a lasting difference, so extend a hand and help them to build a future for the youth of South Africa. Contact LifeXchange on 021 785 1586 or 073 303 8533 or visit www.lifexchange.co.za.