YOUTH joined the Rotary Club of Amanzimtoti at Umbogavango Nature Reserve on January 24 for an anti-bullying session aimed at putting a stop to bullying with the help of young leaders.

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The serene and peaceful environment made for a fitting backdrop as Rotary youth leaders from Kingsway High School and Esizibeni High School were equipped with the knowledge and ways with which to fight against the ever-present scourge of bullying.

The session was spearheaded by Dr Nadira Maharaj, whose experience with bullying is informed by her extensive experience in education. She is deputy principal of Amagcino Full Service School and is a global ambassador for inclusive education.

Maharaj built upon the learners’ understanding of bullying, used various anecdotes and examples to make her talking points easily digestible and underscored her address with how important speaking up and acting against bullying is to break the cycle.

She emphasised that bullying threatens the fibre of society and destroys potential that victims of bullying have hidden within them. She added that it erodes confidence and gnaws victims physically, emotionally and psychologically.

“Stand up, speak out, and stop bullying. I want you to remember the word upstanding. We are going to intervene in the problems at school and uplift our communities, our societies that we serve. We need to become whistleblowers. If you see bullying in your school, you’re supposed to bring it to the fore. Being a bystander is being a person who looks at bullying happening. You need to be “upstanders” and stand up to bullying,” said Maharaj.

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