By Bontle Moeng
JOHANNESBURG teenagers are being encouraged to prepare for life beyond school through an innovative life skills programme.
The project, run by the 4YOUth Programme, runs workshops for teenagers - "for girls" - gives participants "the personal tools necessary to deal successfully with the challenges of adolescence, and prepare them to become adults, parents, workers and citizens".
4YOUth, started by Ruggero Bonomi, is a relatively young project, having kicked off at the beginning of the year, after four years of planning. So far the organisation has run programmes in 70 schools around Johannesburg. "But we aim to reach 6 000 schools by 2006," Bonomi says. The difficulty so far has been reaching schools in the townships and rural areas.
The 4YOUth programme is based on a design by Morgan Model Management, says Bonomi.
Workshops are run in the afternoons at the schools. Participants meet once a week for an hour for a 12-week period, with the total cost of the course coming to R200, or R16 an hour.
The programme begins by focusing on building and improving the relationships between parents and their adolescent children. "We want to get rid of negative stereotypes like 'the teenage years are problem years'," Bonomi adds. A guidance programme for parents helps create better channels of communication with their teenager children. "This then shifts the judgment on teenagers into a positive form."
The emphasis is primarily on empowering teenage girls. "We focus on the challenges they face, like unemployment and women abuse." It is essential that young people build up their confidence, and "put more effort in building their future and become aware of the expectations in the corporate world".
"We want to see the programme as a link between parents, teachers and companies."
Bonomi says that he has approached the Umsombovu Youth Fund and local municipalities to support the programme, encouraging youngsters to attend the workshops. The National Youth Commission and the Department of Education, while not involved with the programme, have been sent details of the courses and kept informed of its progress.
Although other youth development programmes are available, Bonomi believes his is unique, "based on allowing the participants to make the decisions".
The success of the 4YOUth programme can be measured by the response of the parents, learners and teachers. Six months after the conclusion of a workshop programme the participants get together for a report-back session and to talk at the next course about their experiences.
For more info contact 4YOUth at 086 149 6884 or e-mail: info@morganmodelmanagement.co.za
