 Could you please introduce yourself?
My name is Mandla Daba. I am from the city Johannesburg in South Africa. I work as a youth facilitator for Twilight Children in Hillbrow, an inner city of Joburg in South Africa.
What does your work as a youth facilitator entail?
My work as a youth facilitator involves working with vulnerable children and street children. At Twilight Children we have workshops and ‘roadshows’ in which we inform the youth about HIV and AIDS, drugs and alcohol abuse. We also hold sessions in skills building, for example in how to use the computer and how to do clay art. We also host games to keep the youth from the street. We try to create partnerships with them and help them. For example, we also try to take them to school, give them food and help them with homework.
The youth that we meet and approach in the street all have different challenges. Some of them have been abused, sexually abused, they lost their parents or their mother has passed away and now they live with their father only. Sometimes, this father marries to another woman and this woman will not treat the young person in the same way as his mother did. Then they often try to run away from home. Others experience pressure from peers and start using drugs. Some of them are spoilt, they have a lot of things at home and then they feel they can do whatever they like and they end up in the street. One person’s experience differs from another person’s, but most of them are orphans because they don’t have parents at all. Most of them died of AIDS, others of TB or cancer. Some of the street children are very young still. It is not uncommon to find children of only 6 years old living in the street. They don’t behave like children anymore. In order to survive and make a living they became very streetwise.
How did you become a youth facilitator?
My own life story has motivated me to become a youth facilitator. After losing my parents I ended up living in the streets. I was even involved in crime and drugs. Twilight Children has helped me to get out and really change my life. By being a youth facilitator I can help out and make difference in someone else’s life. Doing so I can pay something back to the community.
Twilight Children provided me with a training to become a peer educator. Afterwards I was also trained in facilitators skills. They gave me an official certificate, which was accredited by the national government.
What do you like most about being a youth facilitator?
Meeting a lot of people. I like socializing. However the best thing of it all is helping people change from bad to good. It is very satisfying being able to help people to change their situation for the better. Especially those who feel that they are on their own and nobody cares about them.
Is HIV/AIDS a big issue in South Africa?
Yes it is a big issue. In fact it is huge, everyone is talking about it in the streets. There are also many campaigns and ‘road shows’ raising awareness. They also talk about it on TV, it is a very big issue.
Do you think things are changing in a positive way lately? Do you feel all the efforts have a positive effect?
Yes I do feel there is a positive effect. As a youth facilitator I see that our efforts are resulting in better knowledge about HIV. Before there were many misconceptions. Especially about how HIV is transmitted. Now the youth we work with know how it works. So yes there is some change.
How are you confronted with HIV/AIDS in your own personal, day-to-day life?
I see people dying. I see people not taking care enough. I feel bad about the fact that youth or people close to me are dying. It makes me feel sad. That is what gives me the feeling that I need to do something about it. I do believe that youth are easier to reach if you work with youth facilitators. They speak the same language and know what the issues are. This makes it easier for the youth to access the right information and learn. Besides it concerns issues that are not easily discussed within the family.
How did you yourself learn about HIV/AIDS? Did your parents discuss it with you or did the school provide you with some information?
In the period that my mother died people didn’t really know much about HIV. When my brother and I tried to find out why she became sick and why she died we found out that our mother was HIV positive. Only later when I attended the workshops at Twilight Children I learned more about it. They explained how you can protect yourself against the virus and how it is transmitted.
Do you have any suggestions for us? How can we better reach youth?
Like I said before, by involving youth. And by using methods that are appealing to them. At Twilight Children for example we use what we call entertainment to reach use. This involves things like drama, music, poetry and role plays. It is all about making learning fun. You want to offer them a nice day and educate them at the same time. This makes them wanting to attend, have fun and learn something in the meantime. At night, at home they will definitely think things over again.
Is there anything you would want to share with the youth?
Well in South Africa we work along the ABC method. A stands for Abstinence, B for being faithful and C for condomising. Practice shows that abstinence doesn’t really work at all. Young people do meet and get involved with each other. So use a condom is really the best way. It is important that youth are well informed. They need to know how they can protect themselves from getting infected but also need to go for an HIV test if they feel its necessary.
The most important thing I would say is to play safe. However you play it, play safe!
With all the experiences you are gaining as a youth facilitator, what are your plans/dreams for the future?
My dreams for the future are to take my career to a next level by becoming a social worker. Recently, I have also created a new organisation together with some friends. It is called Young Minds. We aim to combine sports and HIV/AIDS prevention. It is all done by youth, for youth. Obviously I want it to become a success.
One of my dreams is also for Hillbrow to have radio station, a station dedicated to youth. As we youth love music it is a perfect way to reach them. We are currently doing a questionnaire. It is not just me who is trying to realise this, it is really a community project. Hopefully it will all work out right!
What is your dream for South Africa?
That we can overcome our problems and face HIV. I would also love to have more youth leaders. Youth often don’t get the position that they deserve. Often their efforts are not recognised enough. Young people should really be involved and heard.
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