Lloyds TSB Foundation supports South African Initiative

The Lloyds TSB Foundation for Northern Ireland has just approved funding for an innovative collaborative project between Public Achievement and Bush Radio, South Africa.  The 'Away from Violence - South Africa' project will be run by Bush Radio with young people in and around Cape Town - mostly young people living in the Townships - informal camps with very poor housing and huge social challenges. 

Lloyds funds will support the employment of a worker at Bush to manage a local project.  The project will support 30 local teams of young people to create action projects around aspects of violence that impact on their daily lives.  In South Africa, half of all women will be raped.  In 2006, 1075 children were murdered, and over 20 thousand were assaulted, with almost five thousand indecently assaulted.  The 'National Youth Victimization Study' found that levels of violence against young people are amongst the highest in the world.

The local groups of young people will be 'twinned' with teams of young people in Northern Ireland who are also doing projects on issues of violence.  Then in December 2009, we will send four people to Cape Town to work with Bush Radio for a month, and to assist with and present at their 'Media Kidocracy Konference' - an annual event held on Robin Island outside Cape Town.  The four will work as interns at Bush, making radio programmes and helping out with all aspects of the running of the station.

Media products (radio programmes, videos etc) created by the young people will be shared via the WIMPS and Public Achievement websites as the year progresses.

Stay tuned for updates on this exciting project and for fundraisers for the group who will head to South Africa next December.