by Lusanele Jongilanga, Bonteheuwel High School
As a a child of the African continent, I have seen and heard a lot about our country, South Africa.
We live in a country where we as the youth are seen as powerless human beings, and trapped in a box of stereotypes and gender roles that society considers acceptable for us.
We are being shaped for this so-called 21st century that nobody has ever seen. We are raised in a system of the old generation, but we are the now and I say enough!
I hope for this Youth Month we are finally given a chance to lead, because we matter. Young voices matter. We live, walk, share the same stories and know the problems of our communities, so why can’t we also help bring solutions to our problems?
I believe that most of South Africa’s problems are caused by the youth, and who else will have better solutions to these problems except for us, the youth? It is just that we do not listen.
We matter because we are the generation of the now and the future. Let us shape that future now. For us, the youth, to be ready, we need self-esteem, self-respect, self-reliance and self-determination.
As a young everyday activist who fights for the rights of children, I dream that South Africa will finally be free because we are still not free.
Free from gangsterism! Free from injustice! Free from femicide!
I do not want to raise my girl child in a country with high rates of femicide. I dream that one day we all will be butterflies because in my view butterflies are free, so why can’t we be?
I want every future child to grow up knowing that they have a choice and their opinions matter.
I dream that one day no child will be left behind from getting an education, because lack of education is one of the root causes of our problems. For us not to fall into gangsterism we need this education and focus.
As a black child, I have always been passionate about challenging discrimination and promoting the power of youth because I believe that no matter how young or how you look physically, you can change the world.
I want the youth to know that to change the world you do not need to be in power or be a superhero, but we can use our votes and voices.
We are underestimated, but we are powerful. I also dream that we as the youth learn to work together so that building this future for us will be easy.
I hope that the elderly stop using the old generation system to lead us to the future, because it does not work for us, the youth.
* Lusanele Jongilanga, Bonteheuwel High School.
* To Celebrate Youth Month, the Cape Argus invited youngsters in Cape Town to submit essays to the newspaper about their dreams, their vision and their hopes for the future.
After barely a trickle of submissions, our inboxes were filled once the word spread on social media. We have had youngsters from across the Cape Metropole sharing with us what they expect of those in charge and how they want to change things for the better in their communities.
The essays on this page have been chosen as the best, and each writer will receive a tablet computer courtesy of Double “O”.
Thank you to everyone who wrote to us. We encourage you to remain active, whether through the written word or participating in activities in your communities.
– The Cape Argus team