Ginsberg Youth Council

Ginsberg youth council was established on 27 November 2000. It was formed after a series of workshops were conducted by the Interfaith Community Development Association-(IDCA). A research study was conducted on family / household, business initiatives in Ginsberg. The study used the model of a participatory action research. Although the study focused on the afore-mentioned initiatives, it also targeted groups that were not subject of study, namely, youth, church people and the disabled. A series of workshops and focus group discussions were conducted with various target groups including youth. From the youth workshop to subsequent focus discussions it was revealed that the youth of Ginsberg faces many challenges in the form of HIV / Aids, unemployment, crime, drugs, and alcohol abuse and general disinterest in civic matters.

This gathering agreed that to deal with such problems and to unite the youth of Ginsberg, there was a need for abroad-based youth formation in a form of council. The envisaged council would be a house for young people of Ginsberg, organized and unorganized respectively. The council mandate was and still to facilitate socio-economic development of the local youth and that of the surroundings rural communities in general. The research afore-mentioned was conducted by an organisation called the interfaith community development association (I.C.D.A) based in Johannesburg.

Vision

United economically, self sustaining, socially and health conscious youth of Ginsberg

Mission

We, the Ginsberg Youth Council intend to facilitate, promote and sustain socio-economic transformation through youth activism and uphold the democratic values at all times.

Objectives

• To unite the youth of Ginsberg under one banner
• To represent their interest, aspiration and needs to the outside world
• To promote and encourage self-empowerment through job creation initiatives
• Encourage and create opportunities for the utilization of the local skilled youth population brings back the culture of debate, dialogue, conversation and sport amongst the local youth.
• To promote the culture of Ubuntu and instill the sense of reliance and pride
• Create health awareness amongst the local youth and thereby reduce the number of potential victims of the epidemic illness like HIV / Aids, STD’s.
• To initiate and promote youth development in surroundings rural areas.
Education

Programme Objectives

The Education Programme seeks to advance school reform through community participation. The Programme strengthens school governance structures through capacity building and leadership training. It is targeted at student representative councils.

Programme Activities• The Ginsberg youth council works with a cluster of schools in the Buffalo City Municipal area conducting workshops on the role and functions of school governing structures. Through more effective governance and a sense of community ownership, schools such as Forbes Grant High School have been able to make a remarkable turnaround in their pass rate.
• The council is also active in organizing schools debate at high and primary school level. The debates are intended as platforms for promoting youth participation in local, provincial and national policy dialogues. Past debates include Racism and Xenophobia. The councils plan to grow the competition to include the rural areas and an essay competition.

Art & culture

Programme Objectives

The council facilitates youth cultural festivals and seminars aimed at developing the capacity within the performing arts, writing and fine arts to use art as a developmental tool. The council is exploring ways of growing this Programme through a network of fellows who will contribute in the community choir.

Expressions of Identity - Youth Cultural Dialogues

• These dialogues bring together well known artists to converse around representations of black youth in the media. The youth are also challenged to provide, through their respective art forms, alternative self- perceptions of their own identities. The dialogues also examine the role of art as a social practice and the means through which the community can express and assess itself. To this end the festivals provide the community of artists with an opportunity to conduct self analysis on issues pertinent to their development. Open Mic is a program that happens twice a month during the weekends. The aim of this project is to give a platform to the up coming musicians, poets, dancers and actors. We discovered that there’s a lot of talent in Ginsberg but it needs to be exposed, so through the program we are doing just that. There is no age limit meaning everyone is entitled to showcase their talent.

Beneficiaries

• First of all the artists will get exposure, of which it’s the most crucial thing to get as an artist. Another benefit is that some of the musicians will get an opportunity to work with Luthando Maseti who’s also an artist, producer, song writer and also the CEO of jomp top records.
• We are also promoting local artists regardless of their genre. We have managed together with jomp top records to launch a mix tape called “One Man Show”. The distribution of the mix tape is still on track.

Leadership
Programme Objectives

These leadership workshops are aimed at developing young leaders and grooming them. The program was initiated last year and began at Charles Morgan Junior Primary, this year the program expanded to the high schools. Forbes Grant Senior Secondary School has also benefited from the program; we even helped them to elect their LRC representatives. We also managed to form a partnership with various organizations in our community.

Beneficiaries
• The schools benefited in terms of getting life skills.
• Leadership skills
• Working in solidarity

SPORT

Programme Objectives

• We promote the development of junior sports through school sports instructors.
• We promote the development of community sports by encouraging and building the organisational capacity of community sports councils. We provide training in sports administration to school, club and council representatives.

Programme Activities

• The council has partnered with the Steve Biko Foundation and other stake holders, Sports Coaches Outreach to collaborate on providing support for community sports initiatives in the Ginsberg. These recommendations form the basis of the sports development Programme. One of the main priorities is the need to address the lack of sports administration skills.

• The council has also been hosting the Steve Biko Memorial tournament for the past three years with Ginsberg football association. Soccer, netball, athletics, rugby, cricket and boxing tournament attract twenty four sports clubs from various councils. One of the main priorities is the need to address the lack of sports facilities and administration skills.

Health

Program objectives

• We pledge our selves to strive together on working towards curb the spread of HIV and AIDS in our communities. Shall work hand in hand with the clinics & health dept: in implementing health related programs.
• Facilitate workshops related to health and welfare issues. Advanced Awareness on health and welfare issues or programs
• Ensuring that educators, learners, and community embrace a caring and supportive attitude towards comrades living with HIV / aids. We disseminate HIV / aids information through outreach programs on monthly basis.

Programs activities

This project will organize seven sensitization workshops and advocacy meetings with healthcare providers, eight information sessions with vulnerable groups to encourage voluntary counseling, developing a resource centre (NGOs, clinics and government all approach AAS regularly for information), and developing Positive Living documents and materials. This comprehensive treatment advocacy and education project aims to work with a target population of 1000 People It includes strengthening both the state and district level networks, working with service providers, running treatment literacy programs, and doing advocacy with both the public and private sector to reduce the cost of ARVs. We also aim to set up an “AIDS drug bank” through working with pharmaceutical companies.

Religion

Program objectives

• This program is geared towards preparing youth for the work of ministry, encouraging them to know the responsibilities and obligations of the ministry and empower them to understand, discern and respond to the call of god within the Organisation as well as the community.

• Promote faith in youth, school and the community at large and organize religious seminars and encourage religious related youth events. Liaise with religious youth groups, churches and schools.

Program activities
The world normally defines "religion" in a way that is incompatible with the Bible. Remember that the Bible's concept of "Christianity" (being a disciple or follower of Jesus) is not "religion." (In contrast, fake "Christianity" can accurately be called a "religion," for that is just about all it is.)
The council will expand the project by launching a Ginsberg combined mass choir. While at the same time promoting young people to learn and about playing bible games, Christian activities. This program Allow us the privilege of helping the community to teach children well! You can trust our active, involved and easy-to-use resources and curriculum to captivate and engage the children in your ministry. Its fun and Scripture solid!
Environment & tourism

Programs objectives

• To ensure the environment of Ginsberg is kept clean and protected at all times.
• Shall liaise with the tourism office of the Eastern Cape.
• Shall promote all the local tourist spots.
• Shall liaise with the environmentalist in keeping the local environment and local tourist attraction spots clean.

Program activities

Three day conference
The theme of the conference is Re-eventing Ginsberg: Events as Catalysts for Change. This theme was chosen as events have the potential to impact upon the city in which they take place in a variety of ways. They can, for example, serve as: agents of environmental and cultural renewal; vehicles for economic growth and development; catalysts for tourism growth; agents of community education and development; and starting points for the process of re-imaging/re-imagining particular places.






Youth Development and Clean Up Project

A project under the GYC program:
“Promoting Environmental Services for Buffalo City Joint Councils”
As approved by the Eastern Cape Ministry of Local Government

Project summary

• Project title: Sustainable Environmental Awareness and Youth Clean-Up
Campaign in Amathole, Buffalo City.
• Project location: Buffalo City, Amathole district.
• Project duration: 10 DAYS
• Target groups: 170 students between the ages of 14 to 17 from private and public schools in the Buffalo City.


3.1 Project description

Students from all over the Amathole district, voluntarily participate in a 5-day cleaning campaign in Buffalo City. Targeted for clean up are the heavily polluted areas including Ginsberg and Zwelitsha areas, Intaba Ka Ndoda, and public parks within the city limits. The proposed 10-day clean up program will focus on developing awareness among youth from several districts in the Eastern Cape and governmental entities.

3.2 Project Goals

The program has two goals:

(1) Promoting Eastern Cape as an eco-tourism site, and
(2) Creating environmental awareness among youth, by involving them in
Ecological projects to create green parks and a healthier living environment.

Project Outcomes and Results

• Create environmental awareness among 170 students and the general public in the city of Buffalo and all surrounding villages.
• Implement an educational component on the principles of Reduction, Reuse,
• Recycle, Recovery (4R’s), to ensuring long-term sustainability.
• Create a local community network of concerned citizens through the implementation of this Clean-Up Campaign.
• Identify the most polluted and environmentally unsafe neighborhoods and Public areas. In such areas, conduct follow-up home visits and environmental Workshops relating to sanitation and solid waste management. Establish a success story by creating (after cleaned) a small children’s playground, a mini soccer field, and/or cleaned open area.
• After completion, follow-up visits by GYC with youth volunteers at schools, Clubs and other related groups to assess needs for further clean up programs and to develop clean-up projects in other neighborhoods and villages.
• Promote eco-tourism among the local community and cultivate a sense of Voluntarism among the local youth in the district.
• Contribute to a cleaner and healthier environment.













The 1st Annual Mncedi Ngoloyi School Multi-Sport Tournament

“Sport 4 Development and integration”


The Ginsberg Youth Council to host a School Multi-sport Tournament, to memorialize and celebrate the legacy of Mncedi Ngoloyi using sport as a medium through which socio-economic impact could potentially be attained both at the level of the individual and community respectively.
The tournament will focus on soccer; Rugby and Netball. The tournament’s objective is to encourage sport in King William’s Town as it has a very rich sporting history and a high unemployment rate.
The Ginsberg Youth Council has conducted a Field research on sporting programmes around Buffalo city and it led to a number of recommendation aimed at reviving school sports-Activities. These recommendations form the basis of the sports development programme. One of the main priorities is the need to address the lack of sports administration skills.
The Council has also been supportive of the Steve Biko Tournament organised for the past three years by the Steve Biko Foundation. This soccer, netball, athletics, rugby, cricket and boxing tournament attract twenty four sports clubs from various councils.
The Mncedi Ngoloyi School Multi-sport Tournament falls within the ambit of the Ginsberg Youth Council’s “Community Development“ Programme area whose primary aim in relation to sport is to use sport as a developmental tool in the sense of bringing about change at both the individual and community level . As the Council we strongly believe that sports can help communities develop social networks that ultimately account for the social capital that communities direly need for their growth and development.

We believe that at the level of the individual sport gives on a sense of meaning in life and restores confidence and self-worth and a sense of belonging that each and everyone of us relentlessly hankers for, this is the Ginsberg Youth Council philosophical premise of its sport developmental programme of which the Mncedi Ngoloyi School Multi-Sport Tournament is a constituent element.




One child in sport is one child out of court
- Author Unknown

June 16, Youth Day Seminar
"We shall not abandon the poor young people"
The Ginsberg Youth Council to host its first Annual seminar on the 16th June 2009 it will be featuring various issues namely HIV/AIDS, unemployment, crime, drugs, alcohol abuse, teenage pregnancy, identity crisis and general disinterest in civic matters. Discussions concerning the Youth so as to instill a sense of dignity, pride, respect and self reliance amongst the in school and out of school youth. These Discussions will range from Debates and also checking the relevance of the movement’s ideals and philosophies in the present democratic South Africa.

the seminar is to commemorate and celebrate the legacy of the “Class of 1976” using Seminar as a medium through which socio-economic impact could potentially be attained both at the level of the individual and community respectively. It is saddening to realise high numbers of our youths who do not have hope in the future and begin to 'drown' themselves through various substance abuses.
We are celebrating ten years of freedom while also putting into practice key programmes of the province's ten year turn around strategy. We believe that the role of the youth cannot be relegated to the periphery at this crucial time. Many intervention of Ginsberg Youth Council require a vibrant, vigilant and very active youth to material with phenomenal success. Now is the time for our youth to model their rise, marvelling at our great leaders of the youth who have walked the liberation road guided by the fundamental principles of 'democracy, freedom and franchise in our life time'? Knowing what they stood for, ooTatu Mandela, Sisulu, Mbeki, and many more never allowed the 'spears' of those comrades to fall. They picked them up and led the way through difficult times.
It is this undying spirit that transcended generations from the era of the young "Stephen Bantu Biko’s, Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe’s, Nelson Mandela’s and Walter Sisulu's" to the youth leaders of 1976 student uprisings and the 1980's 'young lions' that roared in every corner of apartheid South Africa, breaking the backbone of the oppressive dispensations. That spirit continued to inspire our young people to volunteer their services to push back frontiers of poverty and under development during our first decade of freedom. Today’s Youth Celebration is symbolic of our unwavering commitment as Young People of this Country to nourish that spirit as a basis of building a people's contract for a better Eastern Cape, South Africa and a better world. Considering our achievements of the first decade and the challenges of the second decade of freedom, there is a way.




Collaboration with the Nelson Mandela institute
Ilima Lemfundo Project
This project is the brain child of the Nelson Mandela Institute (NMI). The aim of the initiative is to help promote workmanship between the community and schools. It focuses on renovating schools in the rural area from the floor to the roof. We were recently asked to participate together with a group of students from Fort hare University by volunteering our services. Through the project we managed to form a partnership with the (NMI). This is an on going project.

Beneficiaries

• The community, Teachers and students have benefited a lot from the program.
• The project has created a healthy teaching and learning environment for all.

Collaboration with the Department of Land Affairs

XOLANI GOERGE COMPUTER LAB PROJECT:

The department of Land Affairs has agreed to donate an equipment of computers in commemoration of the late Xolani George who was the co-founder of the G.Y.C was a member of the council, they agreed that we should run with the initiative and open up a computer centre in our community. The plan is to launch this lab this year.

BENEFICAIRIES

• The community will benefit a lot and in the process we will be eradicating computer illiteracy.
• Students will be able to make researches for assignments and projects
• It will have an internet excess to students and the community at large
• It will keep teachers exposed to new programs like the syllabus and Microsoft programs.
• The surroundings areas of Ginsberg will also benefit such as rural areas.

The Department of land affairs is in progress of donating an amount of R 100,000.00 for the computer laboratory for the council. Steve Biko Foundation will take care of safety & security and cleaning services of the lab. Yet the council has been facing challenges such as not having good quality facilities. However, the council will fundraise funds to renovate a Dispossessed Computer lab.







COLLABORATION WITH THE U.S.A INSTITUTION

PAINTING OF GINSBERG CRECHES
A group of young people from the U.S.A who were led by Jaron Abelsohn were touring around South Africa and their directors are in partnership with the Ginsberg Crèche. So they invited us to participate in the painting project by volunteering. The state of the school was in a bad condition, because a lot of the parents can not afford to pay the school fees. The crèche depends on donations to function, so we felt like it would be of great importance for us to land a hand by participating in the project.

BENEFICIARIES

• The community has benefited a lot from the project, because the crèche is now admirable and beautiful.
• The teachers have admitted that the teaching environment is healthy and it’s going to make learning easy for the children.


Collaboration with Dickinson University College USA

Oral history research
In august we teamed up with Dickinson College professors and students to conduct oral history project, and oral translation between IsiXhosa and English and we also transcribe interviews. The oral history research focused on interviews among local people who had active in, or somehow connected to, the Black Consciousness Movement (BCM)of the 1970s each of the thirty-eight interviews our team of three professors and students conducted required making contacts, arranging visits, interview times, setting up role.

Collaboration with Earlham University College USA


Community programs
In April we worked with number of students from Earlham University College, United States of America. We developed a community projects research and we did outreach programs around buffalo city schools.