Civic Engagement
Example of a Southern African Fellow working in the Civic Engagement sector
David Liknaitzky
Project Name: Youth Empowerment Network
The Youth Empowerment Network (YEN), headed by David Litknatizky, works to address one of the most pervasive social problems facing young South Africans, high unemployment and disillusionment. More than half of young people in South African are faced with the prospects of being unemployed and vulnerable to temptation of crime or/and drug abuse. This reality is linked to the historical legacy of apartheid, which promoted psychological oppression amongst poor blacks, deprived blacks of adequate education, and disrupted others in their pursuit of education due to political and social upheavals. The Youth Empowerment Network pioneers an innovated approach to dealing with these issues through its “Facing the Future with Courage” program. Participants are asked to pay a small fee based on the theory that people value what they pay for and to avoid perpetuating the welfare mentality.
In this nine week course, thirty pre-selected young people (ages 17 to 26) participate in nine modules that emphasize personal development, self confidence, teamwork, and community outreach. Youth venture into their communities and gather stories in oral tradition. In doing so, they gain an appreciation for their surroundings and use these oral stories as a springboard for launching community development initiatives. Participants take weekly field trips,explore weekly modules and work with up to twenty facilitators. Each module is design around a theme that encourages independent thinking, self development, group cooperationand creativity. Young people learn confliction resolution techniques, exercises to maintain emotional stability, and methods of developing self esteem.
Participants gain practical tools to obtain gainful employment and start businesses. Graduates from the course are further supported by the Youth Support Unit, which gives them access to work, volunteer, education and funding opportunities. Youth Support Unit is made up of former graduates. It serves as a safety net, provides coaching and conducts research. More than 1,500 young people have graduate from the “Facing the Future with Courage” program. At least 70% of the graduates report significant life change as a result of their participation in the program. The organization operates in Alexandra, Joubert Park, Thokoza, and Soweto. Its approach had been implemented in projects in Western Cape, inspired programs in the Eastern Cape and been exported to Brazil.
