Gauteng MEC for community safety, Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane, was recently on hand to watch 30 youngsters from Ekurhuleni graduate from a new media training programme.
The 30 youths are members of the Tembisa and Katlehong cluster’s Youth Crime Prevention Desk (YCPD).
Established in Gauteng 15 years ago, YCPD is a joint initiative of the community safety department, SAPS and CPF.
Based at police stations across the province, YCPD mobilises young people to volunteer in crime and violence prevention, with the aim of creating safer communities.
The programme – dubbed “#EKSE! My Voice, My Safety” – was initiated this year, after a 2013 impact analysis conducted by the department and the violence and crime prevention programme (VCP) found that even though youth desks were effective in their work, volunteers struggled to communicate with young people in their communities and other youth desks.
The programme is supported by the SAPS, Gauteng Community Safety, CPF and NGO German International Cooperation (GIZ).
Starting in February, 2014, Soul City Institute, with training support from Frayintermedia, held a series of workshops to train youth desk members in how to use various social media platforms to improve communication with their communities.
GIZ technical advisor Allan Boesak said the aim of the programme was to teach YCPD members to use media innovatively.
“What we wanted to do with the members of the Youth Crime Prevention Desk was to teach them to use new media and media in general, in a way that allows them space to be involved in political processes, particularly local government,” said Boesak.
Managing director of Frayintermedia, Paula Fray, said the programme went beyond teaching the participants how to use various social media platforms.
“We wanted to show them how to be strategic in their communication choices.
“On the one hand we gave them skills in how to use social media and new media, but we also talked about the big picture of why we communicate in the first place and how we communicate with target audiences,” said Fray.
The Department of Community Safety’s Mothibi Mohomane said the programme was ultimately about giving young people a platform.
“It is about young people bringing forth issues that are affecting them in communities and seeking services within local government that will be of assistance to them and their peers,” he added.
Soul City media projects manager Jenny Button said the programme had also yielded unexpected results.
“The programme seems to have boosted their confidence; now they appear more sure of themselves and more able to represent their communities in local government structures,” she added.
