South Africa (SA) has a LOST GENERATION. Throughout human history, tribes/communities would ensure their members were guided through major transitional times, especially childhood into adulthood. Special rites of passage took place where elders taught what it meant to be a contributing member of their society. Due to a number of South African historical factors and their effects, this elder support has fallen away and left a significant gap leading to a lost generation that faces daunting and complex challenges.
The World Bank report, March 2022 confirms that SA remains one of the most unequal countries in the world (worldbank.org). Stellenbosch, with its juxtaposition of wealth & poverty, is a stark example of this inequality. The impact of apartheid ingrained damaging beliefs of inferiority & incapability. Research paints a stark picture of generational poverty, unemployment, crime, Gender Based Violence, substance abuse and high rates of school truancy and dropout. Rudolph Zinn, University of South Africa’s School of Criminal Justice conducted research into house robbery in SA (dncpf.co.za). Of all arrested robbers, 90% had no matric qualification, highlighting that completing basic education is a protective factor.
Usiko’s principle revolves around our lost generation discovering identity, purpose and direction through elder wisdom/guidance, nature, connection to heritage and land. The goal is to build resilience, self-belief and strong healthy mind-sets to inspire lifelong learning for positive futures.
The Rites of Passage Programme (ROP) has been running for over twenty years, supported by long-term, diverse SA & International funders. It has a successful track record with a tried and tested model. The Theory of Change uses (1) Wilderness Therapy (2) Education and life skills (3) Mentoring. Our overall impacts are prevention of school dropout and truancy, completion of Grade 12 matric (often first in families), access to vocational training/higher education and ultimately sustainable careers and economic freedom. Working over one academic year, ROP partners with schools delivering after school activities, consisting of weekly workshops, camps & hikes.
For this application, we wish to include astronomy as a teaching & inspirational tool. Activities would include stargazing; hands on art & science activities; visits to Observatories in Cape Town & Northern Cape, a community event linked to a public holiday with campfire storytelling of indigenous ancestors’ stories. The grant would be used to partner with experts to train our facilitators in astronomy and indigenous knowledge, thereby enabling its inclusion into the programme well passed the grant period. This programme supports mental health through connection to ancestry & something bigger than the ‘smallself’ and addresses poverty, inclusion, income generation through guidance and access to opportunities that empower and nurture the whole community through its youth.
