South Africa: Knowledge to choose

Project title:
Knowledge to choose - a self-development and training programme for
vulnerable youths in Cape Flats.

Purpose:
The aim of the project is to strengthen the self-awareness of youths
and their families in poverty-stricken urban areas in Cape Flats, Cape Town, to enable the youths to disengage themselves from crime, violence, sexual assault and drug abuse, and hereby reduce their sense of marginalization.

Target group and project area:
The main target group is the vulnerable 12-25 year-old's, or "youths", from the "black" and "coloured" communities in Cape Flats. Programme activities will be implemented in 32 different townships in Cape Flats.
It is estimated that overall program activities will involve a primary target group of  7,471 youths who will participate in the
programmes core activities. In addition hereto, a larger group of around 50,000 young people will be targeted by the programmes campaign and media productions. Finally, secondary target groups such as families, schools and communities will be attempted reached, as will South African policy makers and society as a whole.

Partners:
The programme is to be a collaboration between Africa Contact and six South African organisations, each of whom will implement specific activities and cooperate and coordinate their activities through a common network. The six organisations are: Hands On, Human Rights Media Centre, Molo Songololo, New Womans
Movement, Workers World Media Productions and Youth 4 Change. HRMC is responsible for the coordination of the professional activities within the network.

Activities:
An array of activities have been, or are to be, implemented, all related to gender equality and the reducing of prejudice. Additionally, all activities actively involve youths learning from each other the lessons they have themselves been taught through the project. The project activities are all designed to engage the youths on their home turf, so to speak, for instance on the street or at their schools, and creating activities that they themselves find relevant and that can help them progress beyond their current situation. Activities could e.g. be based on the desire of the youths for a safe haven, for meaningful communication, for increased knowledge, or for better educational opportunities. All activities are designed to give the youths a sense of an alternative to crime and drug abuse and to offer them the opportunity of partaking in and contributing to a positive environment and community.

Budget:
7.339.906 Danish Kroner over a period of three years from 2008-2010.

For more information, contact Africa Contact at info@afrika.dk