Youth in informal settlements speak out 

By Maria Kandjungu
YOUNG people who live in  informal settlements in the  Khomas region last week sat  down with First lady Monica Geingos  to talk about the challenges  facing them.  During the panel discussion the  youth from the settlement spoke of  some of the major challenges that  they face, including the lack of basic  services and safe leisure centres  or playgrounds and said they were  daily exposed to alcohol abuse and  violence in their local environment.  “When you drove into here  (Goreangab informal settlement)  how many clinics did you see? Yet  you saw bars everywhere, so that  is what we are exposed to,” Judith  Willem said while moderating the  discussion. She said with the escalation  in the number of shebeens in  informal settlements, young adults  were exposed to the evils of public  and domestic violence, alcohol and  drug abuse on a daily basis.  “We learn from the elders and  the only thing we see around here  is alcohol, we see people every time  of the day walking around with  bottles of beer and so we grow up  around that,” one of the young panelists  said, adding that the social  environment gives them mostly  bad examples and there were few  people who encourage the children  to do differently.  “We see more bad than good  in these communities. We group  around these things and we trythem or look forward to trying them.  You find young under-aged children  drunk, but who is selling them the alcohol?  It’s grown-up people.”
THEY DON’T UNDERSTAND US  The panelist also pointed out that  another serious challenge faced by  young people is the poor parent-child  relationship and lack of parental support.  “We are not talking to our parents  because we feel like they do not understand  us, they just cannot relate to  us or help us to try and find a solution  to the problem, they often turn it into  a lecture comparing our time to their  time… It is better to talk to an outsider.”  They however noted that the outsiders  they can talk to do not include  health workers as young people often  feel stigmatised and judged by them  and therefore they have only each other  to talk to about their problems.  “There is lack of role models and  sound support from grown people.  There are few to no people in this community  who can relate and talk to us  about the issues we face as teenagers,  so apart from the Be Free campaign  engagements and youth centres (which  are far from the informal settlements)  we do not know anyone,” panelist Alina  Daniel said.
BE MORE PRO-ACTIVE  First Lady Geingos said the challenges  faced by the youth today were  not that different compared to what  they faced back then, although in her  youth society was however not as tolerant  as today. “The difference is that  communities’ attitudes have changed.  For us, everyone’s parent was in your  business,” Geingos said.  She said although she does not excuse  the fact that the youth in Namibia  are not empowered, young people can  empower themselves by being more  pro-active in their community and by  advocating for issues and services that  affect them and so bring about change  and improvement in society.  “There are few youth that are active  in issues that have nothing to do with  politics. The youth also need to organise  themselves and collectively demand  for change. Who is advocating for libraries  in your communities? Who is  advocating for safe transportation.  “Speak for your reality because no  one will speak it for you. Be the face of  the informal settlement and demand  services which are your basic rights,”  she implored them, adding that they  have access to the most powerful tool,  information through social media, but  most of them were using it wrongly.  “You are however using it wrongly.  Use it constructively [to improve your  life] instead of looking at other people’s  lives, making rude comments on  my page. You are too focused on other  people’s lives,” she advised.  The panel discussion was attended  by learners at both primary and the  secondary school level, with one social  worker, a registered nurse, life skills  teacher, church leader, parent and  member of the City police, who works  in community policing.  Apart from the debates, the young  adults were given a presentation on  accessing job markets and developing  their own brand, and were entertained  by award-winning artist Gazza.

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