Many young people do not commit crimes because they want to, sometimes they are compelled by their daily circumstances.
These are the remarks of Bongeka Qhanga, a programme coordinator for Breaking Beliefs, a non-profit organisation (NPO) dedicated to build a nation filled with resilient, responsive young people who inspire and support their communities.
Qhanga works with young people in Philippi towards self-development. She described the NPO as a safe space for young people to openly talk about their challenges. “Young people are facing a lot and they have no one to talk to. Some of them believe that they don’t get enough attention from home which leads them to go and get it outside. There are those who drop out of school and others who graduate but are unemployed. They are depressed. So, we are training them to be resilient and self-sustainable,” she explained.
Qhanga added that at sometimes loneliness propels them to lose their inner self. She stated that they also have programmes where they train them for job preparedness.
She explained that some young people quit their jobs because of the pressure at work. “Some of them started working at a young age because of the conditions back home. When they find a job they cannot cope with the pressure they receive from their bosses. So, as an organisation we train them on what to expect at work,” she explained. According to Qhanga, the organisation was established in 2017. It accommodates young people from the age of 16 upwards.
She said they work closely with the provincial department of education.
“The Education Department has a YearBeyond programme which provides unemployed youth with a meaningful work experience and a pathway to further studies or work, while at the same time encouraging a culture of service to their communities,” she stated. She said some of the young people from the NPO are placed at schools and police stations.
“We have some of our members placed at Molo Mhlaba primary in Harare and Chuma primary in Town Two. Also, we are working with Nyanga, Philippi-East, Gugulethu, Samora Machel and Mfuleni police stations. Our members are working in their trauma rooms. They assist those who come to report serious cases,” she explained.
Qhanga labelled crime as one of the major problems in the area. “For now we are temporarily moving our office from Philippi Village to Wynberg due to the break-ins that are occurring here. We have been robbed many times. We decided to move to Wynberg in July this year,” she explained.
