Adolescent and youth participation

Fun, personal development and the forging of new connections were the order of the day during an exciting weekend in Grabouw, Western Cape province, for a group of 87 teenage boys and girls. These youngsters took part in a four-day ‘Back2Basics’ UNICEF Sport for Development Training Camp within the Girls and Boys Education Movement (GBEM) where…

In the yard of a Mitchells Plain home, Shevon frantically swings an axe at a large plastic bucket. “This is why I love my job, it’s good for my mental health as well,” says the 38-year-old mother of two, as shards of plastic fly off into a large polyester trash bag. After years working as a waste picker across one of Cape Town’s largest townships…, Environmental, economic, and social impact – a holistic approach, Born and bred in Mitchells Plain, Zach leads the project from the RLabs base in the heart of the community. “We’re trying to address environmental and social aspects together,” he explains. “So, we came up with a model and idea to look at how we get households to really start recycling and to divert more waste-at-source from landfills that can’t…, Taking ReChas to the next level, The project’s unique approach in empowering the local community helped it win the UNICEF and imaGen Ventures, ‘Sustainability Innovation Challenge’, that rewards green initiatives globally with seed funding to continue advancing their innovation.   Improved logistics and efficiency are the result for the ReChas. “The cost of fuel is high, and we…, The green economy in action, A short drive away from the yard where Shevon is working, Muna, a local waste picker, appears from over a hill carrying two trash bags. She’s heading to a ‘ReCha Node’ to trade in her recyclables. It’s where 28-year-old Shandre lives, described as a “champion of ReChas” by Zach for diverting about 27,000 kg of waste from landfills since last…

Sikelela Rollom, is a 21-year-old youth reporter with Nkqubela FM in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape province UNICEF- supported mental health community radio dialogues. I have always been this loud, bubbly, jovial, kind, and outspoken young girl. I loved being around a crowd of people and making new friends. Until my world took a sudden shift after the…

For Musa Kuzwayo, high school was a constant struggle to fit in – until he became a community radio youth reporter at Alex FM. Working on the UNICEF-supported mental health project, he found a platform where he could express himself, and help others to do the same. In the quiet corners of our minds, battles are waged daily, unseen by the world.  …

Being bullied at school can have a lasting, negative effect on a learner’s life. Youth reporter Sibusisiwe Khosa, from Emalahleni FM in Mpumalanga participated in the UNICEF-supported mental health dialogues and speaks out about her experience of bullying, and how she overcame its negative impact. My name is Sibusisiwe Khoza and I have suffered a…

PRETORIA, 06 December 2023 – Extra effort must be placed on ensuring that children and young people are better protected, more visible and empowered to actively respond to the climate and environmental crisis, according to the ‘ Climate, Energy and Environment Landscape Analysis for Children in South Africa Climate, Energy and Environment…

In every area I have visited people asked for a second visit: they say being part of the awareness and community dialogues on Mental Health is therapeutic. “I grew up in a society, where men are perceived as strong according to our cultural belief, and under a popular phrase “Men do not cry” which also promotes, patriarchy. It has not been easy to…

My body my health my wealth banner with a healthy young woman smiling broadly, resting her face on her hands which are on top of a beautiful ripe apple South Africa’s youth are driving efforts to empower peers and create a more conducive environment to live healthier lifestyles and prevent NCDs Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) are responsible for…, Urgent action is needed, A five-year strategic plan (2022 - 2027) to prevent and control NCDs has been developed and needs action. UNICEF Youth Volunteer Clubs are doing just that through the second phase of their campaign: ‘My body, my health: my wealth’. UNICEF produced  a study to better understand diet and physical activity trends among adolescents and youth. This…, Small changes are powerful, The local environment can make healthy living choices difficult but, there are ways in which we can improve our health to help prevent NCDs. Plan and pack: be prepared for the day with healthy snacks like fresh or dried fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, and a bottle of water. This will help you make better food choices and save you money! Focus…

The ‘Basic Package of Support Programme’ (BPS) was set up to provide holistic services to improve the wellbeing and employability of young people. This work is urgent. In South Africa, more than 60% of the country’s youth are not in employment, education, or training. In response, the BPS aims to provide youth, aged 15-24-years, with the skills…, Firefighting into the future, Tyrece was born and bred in Atlantis, Western Cape. As a young boy he visited the local fire station and from that moment on dreamt of being a firefighter. But applying for his dream job was not easy with no practical training or experience on how to develop an application and with internet access hard to come. The Atlantis ‘Basic Package of…, Modelling into the future, Shastri was born and bred in Atlantis, Western Cape, a young life full of violence and obstacles. Today, he’s taking his dream of being a model to the next level, working with a team of Youth Coaches as a participant in the ‘Basic Package of Support’ programme that provides holistic services to youth to improve their wellbeing and employability.…, Designing into the future, Meagan was born and bred in Atlantis, Western Cape. She discovered her love and talent for art at a young age. Today, she’s turning her artistic dream into a business venture by selling her artwork and jewellery. The young artist has turned entrepreneur with support from a team of Youth Coaches as a participant in the ‘Basic Package of Support’…, More to explore

Informational brochure on U-report, a free virtual platform where young people like you speak out and are heard – on issues they care about. Download and share or print the flyer.

From vaccine hesitancy to herd immunity, variants to boosters, COVID-19 to measles – there’s a lot to the vaccination conversation in South Africa. A partnership between UNICEF South Africa and Vuselela Media has been training young community journalists to report on the day-to-day vaccination discussion and surface the stories that move it…, Matsoarelo Makuke | Alex FM | Johannesburg, My name is Matsoarelo Makuke and I represented Alex FM in the Vuka Vuma Vax campaign with UNICEF South Africa. As a community journalist, the experience has been awesome. It provided me with an opportunity to work on my skills and tackling questions and how to handle situations when interviewees go out of context.  Engaging with different people…, Sikelela Rollom | Nkqubela FM | Gqeberha, It has been an absolute pleasure for me to represent Nkqubela FM, a community radio station in Gqeberha, for the Vuka Vuma Vax campaign. Through this campaign I had the opportunity to tell the vaccination stories of the people in my community.   The first thing I learned during the training conducted by Mr Mthoba Chapi is the power of using a…, Bukho Ndamase | UCR FM | Mthatha, There's a piece of writing that says, "life isn't about finding yourself, it's about creating yourself".   My name is Bukho Ndamse from Mthatha, representing UCR FM. Throughout the training I felt that I was creating myself.   In the past months I have learnt so much during the training. I went from knowing what exactly a vaccine is, and what the…, Llyle Jefferies | Radio K | Cape Town, VUKA VUMA Vax, the campaign that brought together 32 strangers and had them leave as friends. An eventful and knowledge filled campaign aiding the youth and helping spread the word on today's health issues. The first day we all met on Zoom, a screen filled with happy faces and smiles to be all taught by an excellent lecturer, Mthoba Chapi, a man…

The food industry has many creatives tactics to get into your head, your wallet and…your body. The marketing strategies used to advertise unhealthy foods are anything but simple but are often quite effective at influencing your food choices. The food industry uses tactics like tracking your digital footprint, pushing out ads on social media just…