One of the most difficult social challenges South Africa faces is the high number of child and youth-headed homes. Children are forced to become adults far too soon as they take on the responsibility of running homes (and looking after younger siblings) because they have lost their parents or guardians. It is estimated that by 2015 almost 12% of South African children will be orphans as a result of HIV/AIDS.
It is difficult enough for the estimated 60% of South African children who live in poverty to progress through school and find work, but this becomes almost impossible without responsible and loving adult care. Many of these children are forced to give up schooling early to find work so they might provide for younger siblings. They also struggle through other adult-sized pressures of running a home and making important decisions.
This is where Mpower comes in. Mpower is a non-profit organisation that has been working in the Cato Manor area of Durban for the last 18 months. Mpower seeks to build community amongst these youth-headed homes and to support the various members of the families in taking hold of their own futures through co-creating personalised life-growth paths. Mpower strives to connect these young people to the opportunities that undoubtedly do exist in South Africa through providing support, guidance, encouragement and skills-training.
Speaking at the recent launch of Mpower, one of it’s directors, Jeanne Haley summed up the problem of youth-headed homes perfectly.
"The most striking aspect of these young peoples’ stories is their sense of being alone in carrying the full burden of responsibility for their family’s survival. Their circumstances mean that they are forced to act as adults despite their positioning within society as children. This makes them particularly vulnerable. The power differential between adults and children means that they are often taken advantage of or not taken seriously. Through our mentorship programme, Mpower aims to empower these young people to recognize their strengths, value themselves, speak out, and identify new possibilities for their lives. Our focus is to come alongside the young people we support and to listen to and collaborate with them so as not to become yet another force that overpowers them."
Programmes Coordinator, Phelo Muyanga, told the audience of 115 people that she has been struck by the frightening vulnerability of these homes.
“The homes we work with are so vulnerable. For example, recently one of the families we work with was attacked. Someone came into their house and raped the three girls and took everything they had. Afterwards, instead of being supported by members of their community, they were treated with hostility because they reported the incident to the police.”
While Mpower can never properly replace the role of responsible full-time care-givers, it can certainly strive to fill the gap by any means possible in assisting children to cope with schooling, providing skills-training for employment opportunities, and mentoring their emotional and social growth.
(To find out more about Mpower, please visit www.mpowersa.org. You can also find them on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Mpowersa), or follow them on Twitter (@mpowersa).