The Youth of Today

-Special report by Friends of Chintsa Social Media & Community Correspondent Odwa Shaun Mtshini

30 June 2013 marked the end of Youth Month which was commemorated under the theme 'Working Together for Youth Development and a Drug Free South Africa'.  To many, the commemorations were a reminder about the challenges such as unemployment, drug abuse, teenage pregnancy, the increasing number of school drop-outs, among others, which continue to affect young people post-1994.  But June was also the month we remember what happened during the Soweto Uprising: on the 16th June 1976 many children were killed in Soweto when they protested against having to learn in Afrikaans, the mother tongue of the then apartheid government.

the film crew AMAMFENGU

Odwa Shaun Mtshini, documenting the film process

So we want to swing the focus to what some of the youth of today are trying to do to inspire themselves and others to yearn for achievement and success in life.  Last month I travelled to Dimbaza in King William's Town, a town inland from Chintsa on the way to Grahamstown, home of the National Arts Festival, where myself and a group of young film-maker friends were shooting a documentary-style movie in order to raise awareness around life as experienced by the majority of youth in the townships and informal settlements of South Africa.  

some shots of the filming taking place

Sadly, many of our youth live in environments where there is little family structure and hence poor role models, and there is also a high rate of crime and alcohol and drug abuse, and teenage pregnancy.  Because of this kind of living environment many of the youth do not have a vision for their future, and so the temptation to resort to hanging out at the nearest shebeen for a drink, or a little fix from a drug to get high, is very strong.

We have been working on trying to enlighten our brothers and sisters, to inspire them to see that no matter where you were born, were you come from and who your parents are that you can be whoever you wish to be in life, and achieve whatever you have in your heart if you are only willing to work hard on those dreams.  And we do this through the medium of film.  So let me tell you a little about the film we are making now.

INJONGO (vision or the foresight and wisdom in planning things) was locally written, filmed, directed and edited by Msingathi Hlazo who is currently studying Information Technology at Walter Sisulu University at Berlin campus. The film is based on a young boy who grows up staying with his elder brother, who is a drug addict and hangs out with his gang of drug-taking friends. A quick synopsis:our main character, who goes by the name of Mfundiso (which I play in the soon-to-be-filmed second chapter), is doing a school project with his neighbours' daughters, when the children's father, who is a social worker, asks if he can talk to him about his home situation. The neighbour/social worker has been giving Mfundiso and his family support in the form of clothes and food, and gives Mfundiso a form to fill out which needs to signed by his brother and must be returned in order for them to receive their monthly supply of groceries. He goes home but is locked outside, and so has to wait for his brother to come home with the house keys. But when the brother comes home he brings his friends and they tell Mfundiso to wait outside for them while they smoke (Mandrax), and then he can come inside when they’re done smoking. His brother refuses to let him inside the house because he wants to first get high with his friends! But Mfundiso is persistent because he wants to wash his school uniform and make some lunch. He comes inside with the form he has been given for his brother to sign, his brother asks him about the paper, and one of his brother's friends recognises this form as his family is also receiving support. 

 'Mfundiso' having a quick read-through of his lines

The brother signs the paper, and then leaves, but forgets some of the drug paraphernalia behind as they go. Mfundiso had seen how they were smoking when he came inside, and so he tries to smoke a little of the drug himself.  As he is doing this one of the brother's friends comes back to collect their 'stuff', sees what Mfundiso is doing and tells Mfundiso that he will teach him how to smoke properly. Mfundiso agrees, but he smokes too much and overdoses.  The friend panics and runs away, leaving young Mfundiso to his fate...  Mfundiso's school friend luckily comes by and discovers him passed out on the floor, foaming at the mouth, and calls for help.  The first chapter of the film ends with Mfundiso been taken away in an ambulance.

Disturbing stuff!  But we have to portray the reality of how easily it is to come by drugs, and what the effects are, in order to educate the youth about the dangers of gangs and drugs.  Our film crew has filmed five other similar movies, all with harrowing storylines and harsh outcomes, and we believe that shock treatment works to scare the youth into waking up and becoming aware of the temptations out there, what they look like, and how prevalent they really are.
About the equipment that we are using to shoot our movies: we borrow it from some of the friends that we know, and also from people we know who we tell about our movie, hoping that the movies we make will bring some change in young people out there who are maybe faced with some of these problems for e.g. living with people who are using drugs in their presence.  Some of our films have been aired on VUZU, a DSTV (satellite TV) station, and we have also sold hard copies in and around Dimbaza.  

The relevance to Chintsa East?  Well, our next plan is to hold public film viewings, and perhaps launch this new film, INJONGO, right here in Chintsa East.  If we can organise a public film evening this would be a great platform to educate our youth!  If you have any ideas in this regard please leave your contact details in a comment.  Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.