Something Special for the youngsters at school

Life Skills Info-tainment is theatrical communication programme designed for the teenagers in high schools with the aim of building the invaluable preciousness of the family life and positive friendships/peer relations in order prepare the young people to cope with areas of vulnerability. It is a synthesis of the materials sourced from different value systems; legal sphere, cultural norms and religious teachings fused in a unique youth friendly artistic production incorporating drama, music, dance, role plays, quiz and a variety of pieces on responsible and healthy growing.

The communications in the programme discuses thoroughly the basics of real life, responsible growing and development (basic life skills), including; the skills for knowing and living with oneself, the skills for knowing and living with others and the skills for decision making.  It challenges the young people to discuss objectively, values of freedom, self-esteem, effective communication, love, sex and romance without regret, family life, self-reliance and hard work, practical friendship, dating for marriage and gives them the chance to eventually choose the best and abandon the worst.

What else can we tell the young person? Feel free to go to the comment area, and share your thought.

Exposure to radical idealogy through social media; are our young people safe?

Recent Research shows that, young people’s exposure to social media and modern extremist’s propaganda and indoctrination done through many other avenues including social media are key causes of violence by students and demonstrators in the streets all over the world. According to CNN, the days of would-be terrorists needing to travel too far-off camps to make contacts and learn how to build bombs is rapidly receding. Social media forums like Twitter and Facebook provide a ready-made Rolodex of sources; “…dig further online, mine those contacts further, gain admission to private chat forums and eventually you will find instructions for bomb making”. Our young people are fully surrounded by digital media and these expose them to such social evils. Internet penetration continues to grow in Uganda, connecting more citizens to new digital media tools and platforms, particularly on internet-enabled mobile devices, in urban and rural areas alike; unfortunately, unlike in the mainstream media where content are highly controlled, internet freedom has not been subjected to the same level of surveillance. Therefore the unskilled young people are highly vulnerable to exposure to extremists’ persuasive ideology.

A STRONG NEED FOR PYSCHO-SOCIAL SUPPORT; DERADICALISATION OF THE MINDS

From the time the war intensified, a lot of humanitarian organizations supported the civilians both during and after the conflict. Special attention was placed on shelter, food, physical health, education support and reintegration of thousands of formerly abducted children. Attention concerning mental health, behavior management and attitude management for these children, adolescents and their families was however limited. Today, this oversight has left the communities in the region with a big task to mitigate the psychological/post traumatic effects of war in the life of children; now youths and adults who were directly and indirectly affected by the war. Many continue to struggle with psycho-social consequences as a result of their confrontation with war and experience difficulties in their social life; decision making, coping with community challenges and fitting within the society systems, laws and organization.  living a life of no hope, many are involved in harmful/self destructive behaviors, drug taking and a excessive alcohol consumption  and violet crimes. This situation can however be saved. Multiple approaches need to be employed by the communities to deal squarely with this problem. Effective solutions can come from these communities backed by the government and other interventions by voluntary agencies!

SHIFT OF FOCUS; FROM MATERIAL AID TO ATTITUDE CHANGE!

Amidst all these, many have picked pieces and seen a chance for new and better life after efforts by government and humanitarian agencies. There are programmes like peace and recovery programme, education support programmes and various community support projects being channelled to the grassroots.  However, these interventions face problems of sustainability, lack of ownership and inadequacy. Most of the efforts are still similar to experience in the war time; they maintain the attitude of dependency.

There is need therefore to stimulate and strengthen community initiated interventions, programmes aimed at changing attitude and solutions to problems which are locally devised. Community involvement and active participation should be emphasized and encouraged. Approaches that encourage and empower the community to start and own interventions/takes care of contextual needs and issues in the community should be promoted, advocated for and adopted.

RESTORING THE SOCIAL VALUES!

Whereas there is hope for recovery, it is eminent that the ordinary citizen, government, social support system and all partners are heading for daunting task. The social values that were used to shape the behaviours and way of life of the people and strengthen community organisation were strongly washed away by the war and its effects; displacement not just from homes, but from a social system of livelihood, nurturing and administration of justice and society order. Confining people in highly crowded displaced people’s camps exposed people to extreme social disorder, criminal and uncontrolled behaviours, diseases and poor culture of dependence on humanitarian aid as opposed to the original society ways of working hard to provide for their families. People had limited access to support system like justice, law and order, education and proper governance which are tools for regulating society morals and social life. Destruction of physical environment as a result of congestion and overcrowding which comes with demands for space, shelter, fuel-fire wood, building materials etc, was also among the problems.