July is a barren month for public holidays, as it is one of the four months on the South African economic calendar without a day of government-mandated rest. However, stuck in the middle of the coldest month of the year and sandwiched between two stretches of uninterrupted work, we find Mandela Day. Rather than denigrate the day by not giving it the same status as the other days of remembrance and observance, the day comes up at a time when we are at our busiest. Although coincidental, a day which truly buys into the spirit of sacrifice through community service is perfectly placed amidst the coldest and busiest few weeks of the year.
At its roots, the day on which we commemorate Madiba’s legacy through service is ultimately for the benefit of the community. Communities, however, are odd things – despite the fact that every single community is composed of unique individuals, we tend to lose perspective of the individuality nested within. Like individuals, communities have their own peculiarities and oddities, their own strengths and weaknesses, and their own cultures and concerns. As such, forgetting about the individuality at the heart of community service is counter-productive. But how does one find and understand that which informs, shapes, and illuminates a community’s character and needs?
Making sense of the individual as part of the broader constellation
For the most part, communities are dominated by politics; even niche communities, such as those concerned with obscure fandoms or hobbies, will ultimately have their focus derailed by power struggles and the framing of narratives. It is within this dynamic that we must find the lesser-heard voices and treat their experiences as equally valid and as sacrosanct to the health and well-being of the whole as those of the loudest and most vocal of members.
This neglect of a group of people is particularly real among members of our youth. So, short of the impossible task of reaching out to every young person, how do we come to understand the challenges and interests relevant to the youth in our communities?
In the age of big data, one would be excused for assuming that sentiment mining, social media participation, or other online interactions would be the perfect means to identify trends and attitudes held by young people. These types of measures, however, have one particular shortcoming that makes them disadvantageous to those trying to uncover trends and patterns: they are devoid of context and require significant inference in order to make sense of what you are looking at. Using such data points is akin to looking at individual stars in the night sky, unaware of their place in a larger constellation. But, just like stars, once a story reveals the bigger picture, do we come to appreciate the whole on a deeper level as well – after all, the Orion constellation would somehow be less coherent if it were missing Orion’s belt, Betelgeuse, Bellatrix , Rigel, or Saiph.
Storytelling among South African youth: revealing the bigger picture
To honour the communities we serve this month, we must begin to see them for what they are: constellations of individuals.
To do so requires us to appreciate the context and stories of said individuals. By recognising the need and importance of storytelling through fee-free online platforms, we can give young people across the country the ability to both absorb the stories of their peers and to share their own.
Take a quick glance at the most written-about and read topics and you will quickly be presented with a roadmap of issues as diverse as the writers themselves.
Top themes: love, mental wellbeing, economic circumstances
Based on our findings at the Fundza Literacy Trust, we can confirm that the topic of relationships and love are indeed popular themes among South Africa’s youth. The love that is spoken about and described in these stories is not limited to the romantic; instead, love of one’s family, love of one’s friends and peers, love of one’s country, and love for the community all shine through. And, just like romantic love, the love written about in these stories is indeed imperfect, but certainly deserving of our attention.
Then there are some of the less-openly discussed issues facing young people today – this includes stories on the rising acceptance and recognition of the importance attached to mental health and wellbeing. Our youth have shared multiple stories indicating that the waves of awareness around mental health are promising; but that as a society, we are not quite there yet. Many taboos, feelings of shame and guilt, and structural problems still stand in the way of us having open discussions around the mental wellbeing of our peers, family, and friends.
Stories shared by members of our youth have highlighted the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and trauma experienced by our young writers; and given the popularity of these pieces among readers, the experience is shared and empathised with by others undergoing similar difficulties.
Notably, these topics are not isolated from one another – instead, the stories and essays that drive these issues home with readers are supported by the readers and writers’ unique social, economic, and historical contexts within their own communities.
The young people giving us a peek into their lives are also making the brave and difficult choice to not shy away from the more malignant side of their communities; with heartfelt stories about gender-based violence, poverty, crime, and abuse appearing in the background of most discussions.
These stories may entertain and help some pass idle hours, but their role is more important – they’re important sources for understanding the individuality found in our communities and speak to lived experiences that represent the realities of so many.
Ignoring these stories is to not only ignore the community, but also the youth and the struggle that they face. If July’s capstone day is to live up to the legacy of the man who inspired it, let us not forget to read wide and read for understanding within the constellation of the whole.
By Chase Rhys, Head of Content at Fundza Literacy Trust
