When it comes to the youth and their health, it’s always a fascinating subject to explore. There are many young people who believe taking care of their health is something they don’t have to worry about until old age.
Well, the national activation drive, which coincides with the 2nd year anniversary celebration of the She Conquers campaign, aims to promote its message by having activations that promote the campaign’s objectives, mental health and (loveLife) contact centre counselling services and offer testing and screening services.
A few important health issues plaguing young people the wellness activations will focus on:
Mental Health
The nature of young people’s lives and the pressure they face results in anxiety. A person who attends university might have pressure to do well on her grades because the opportunity is hard to come by. Success comes with a lot of weight and often, it becomes unbearable. That’s part of the reason many students drops out of university within their first year of enrolment.
The use of substances amongst youth increases the likelihood of incidents that include violence and unprotected sex. An overall decrease in self-control means that it feeds other societal health challenges as young girls fall prey to early pregnancies, which result in their dropping out of school and sets them up for a life of a lack of skills and economic struggle.
A study by Prof. Rachel Jewkes, R. (et al.) on Preventing Rape and Violence in South Africa (Call for Leadership in A New Agenda for Action. MRC Policy Brief, 2009) states that ‘An estimated 16% of all HIV infections in women could be prevented if women did not experience domestic violence from their partners. Men who have been raped have a long term increased risk of acquiring HIV and are at risk of alcohol abuse, depression and suicide’.
So, we need to start promoting nurturing relationships between parents and children early in life, providing training in life skills, and reducing access to alcohol and firearms can help curb violence. Effective and empathetic care for adolescent survivors of violence, and ongoing support can help deal with the physical and the psychological consequences.
Early pregnancy and childbirth
Most teenagers who fall pregnant find it difficult to go back to school. Instead, there are chances of them giving birth again. Ultimately, they lose out on opportunities to grow themselves and succeed. We should continue to wage war against unscrupulous men (such as sugar daddies), while aggressively pushing programmes such as She Conquers in schools and community centres / programmes. The programme empowers adolescent girls and women to take charge of their future through a focus on their education and health literacy.
A report commissioned by Partners in Sexual Health (PSH) notes that of teenagers in school at the time of falling pregnant, “29% of 14 — 19 year olds who drop out of school due to pregnancy return to school by the age of 20 and, of this figure, only 34% complete their final year of schooling.”
Ultimately, it all comes down to recognising and acting on the need to spend time and resources on the wellness of the youth. Create an all-round development approach where the health of a young person is a seamless combination of different services from the government, youth development organisations and corporate businesses.
The She Conquers campaign, launched in 2016, is rolled out through a five-pronged approach: retain young women and adolescent girls in school; increase economic opportunities for youth of South Africa (specifically young women); and decrease new HIV infections, teenage pregnancies and gender-based violence among young women and adolescent girls.
The She Conquers Wellness 2018 activations, more than anything, seek to empower, protect and advance South Africa’s young people, as it takes an entire village to raise complete leaders.
To keep tabs on the activation drive and learn about She Conquers, follow loveLife’s Facebook Page:
The same is true for peers who are struggling to find work, the pressure mounts every day for them to source opportunities and improve their lives. Platforms like loveLife’s psychosocial contact centre provides free counselling to help youth deal with emotional and mental issues. Those in need of a patient ear can send a Plz Cal Me to 083 323 1023 and a trained counsellor will call them back.
Exercise and nutrition
The introduction of physical education meant that young people could learn ways to keep healthy at a mass scale because they’re required to do it at school. This method of engaging them through exercise and help them think about their nutrition works well because it creates individuals who grow up knowing the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle. When a person is taught these values at a tender age, there’s a likelihood that there will be less resources spent on maintaining that individual’s health in their adult years.
Substance Abuse and Violence
The use of substances amongst youth increases the likelihood of incidents that include violence and unprotected sex. An overall decrease in self-control means that it feeds other societal health challenges as young girls fall prey to early pregnancies, which result in their dropping out of school and sets them up for a life of a lack of skills and economic struggle.
A study by Prof. Rachel Jewkes, R. (et al.) on Preventing Rape and Violence in South Africa (Call for Leadership in A New Agenda for Action. MRC Policy Brief, 2009) states that ‘An estimated 16% of all HIV infections in women could be prevented if women did not experience domestic violence from their partners. Men who have been raped have a long term increased risk of acquiring HIV and are at risk of alcohol abuse, depression and suicide’.
So, we need to start promoting nurturing relationships between parents and children early in life, providing training in life skills, and reducing access to alcohol and firearms can help curb violence. Effective and empathetic care for adolescent survivors of violence, and ongoing support can help deal with the physical and the psychological consequences.
Early pregnancy and childbirth
Most teenagers who fall pregnant find it difficult to go back to school. Instead, there are chances of them giving birth again. Ultimately, they lose out on opportunities to grow themselves and succeed. We should continue to wage war against unscrupulous men (such as sugar daddies), while aggressively pushing programmes such as She Conquers in schools and community centres / programmes. The programme empowers adolescent girls and women to take charge of their future through a focus on their education and health literacy.
A report commissioned by Partners in Sexual Health (PSH) notes that of teenagers in school at the time of falling pregnant, “29% of 14 — 19 year olds who drop out of school due to pregnancy return to school by the age of 20 and, of this figure, only 34% complete their final year of schooling.”
Ultimately, it all comes down to recognising and acting on the need to spend time and resources on the wellness of the youth. Create an all-round development approach where the health of a young person is a seamless combination of different services from the government, youth development organisations and corporate businesses.
The She Conquers campaign, launched in 2016, is rolled out through a five-pronged approach: retain young women and adolescent girls in school; increase economic opportunities for youth of South Africa (specifically young women); and decrease new HIV infections, teenage pregnancies and gender-based violence among young women and adolescent girls.
The She Conquers Wellness 2018 activations, more than anything, seek to empower, protect and advance South Africa’s young people, as it takes an entire village to raise complete leaders.
To keep tabs on the activation drive and learn about She Conquers, follow loveLife’s Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/loveLifeNGO/
She Conquers: http://sheconquerssa.co.za/
BWise Health: https://bwisehealth.com/
Department of Health: http://www.health.gov.za/
Phila: http://phila.org.za/
