Raising the voices of youth

Young people are at the forefront of driving change in their communities, and their voices are being amplified through various initiatives. At NACOSA, we’re committed to ensuring that our children and youth programming is shaped by the voices of young people, promoting inclusivity and co-creation in programme design and evaluation.

Youth-Led Initiatives

Our My Journey programme held a youth summit in 2024, where young people shared their concerns and aspirations. Some of the key issues they wanted to raise their voices for include:

• Access to spaces and proper healthcare for youth
• Unemployment and its link to drug abuse
• Support for substance abusers and harm reduction
• Empowerment of female youth and addressing the challenges they face
• Unemployment and its link to drug abuse

Our community-based violence and HIV prevention programme also hosted focus groups throughout 2024, where young people requested:

• Integration of mental health services and economic strengthening programmes
• Advocacy and sensitization on GBV, particularly with the South African Police Service (SAPS)

Empowering Youth Voices

It is essential to create platforms for young people to share their experiences and ideas. By doing this, we can develop initiatives that truly respond to their needs and promote positive change. As highlighted in NACOSA’s recent Community-Led Monitoring initiative, “young women often face challenges in accessing antenatal care (ANC) due to family pressures or misconceptions about pregnancy. We’re working to inform them on the importance of early care and encouraging them to book antenatal visits as soon as they know they’re pregnant.”

Barriers to basic rights

Xolile had to leave school in Grade 11 and couldn’t apply to college because she didn’t have an ID. Without IDs, youth are excluded from education, healthcare, voting and jobs – basic human rights. Our Human Rights programme is working with partners like Childline Gauteng to help youth to access these rights. “Ever since I got my ID, I’m starting to plan my life,” says Xolile now.

Join the Movement

We invite you to join us in empowering youth voices and promoting advocacy efforts. Together, we can create a brighter future for young people and address the challenges they face.

Let’s amplify the voices of youth and create a movement that drives positive change!