Diepkloof children take centre stage in abOVEnormal’s Mandela Month campaign
abOVEnormal celebrated Mandela Month in Diepkloof with a bold anti-bullying drive, inclusivity project and wellness fundraiser, empowering children to speak out through poetry, drama and dance.
abOVEnormal launched its Mandela Month programme at the Rena le Lona Creative Centre for Children in Diepkloof Zone 6 on July 3.
It featured three key initiatives – an anti-bullying campaign, the 50 Shades of Inclusivity initiative and the 67 Seeds of Wellness (SOW) fundraising campaign.
The anti-bullying campaign was a key aspect of the programme, aiming to provide a platform for people to speak out against bullying and offer support to those affected by it.
Children from the community were invited to participate in poetry, drama, music and dance to portray bullying and explore ways to address it.
Ten-year-old Little Miss Africa South Africa, Khwanazile Malambe, highlighted bullying’s impact and identified various kinds, including cyberbullying, emotional and physical bullying and body shaming.
Bullying can cause anxiety, depression and even suicide. If you’re being bullied, talk to someone you trust,” she said.
Masingita Masunga, a media personality from AboveNormal, stated, “I’ve been bullied all my life, and this year was worse.
“People don’t talk much about bullying, so unless someone strongly advocates for it, we will continue to have this problem.
“Since I have a network of influential people who can speak out, we will spread anti-bullying as part of our inclusivity project’s message.”
Activist and author George Twala said, “Being a bully is a weakness, not a sign of strength. People tend to bully others because they can’t measure up to demands, so they think they need to be violent.
“It’s a lack of self-confidence. As part of nation building, we’re advocating for instilling self-confidence in our children and ensuring they don’t feel inferior when speaking their own languages.”
The 50 Shades of Inclusivity initiative aims to advance the mission of inclusion championed by AboveNormal and the late Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital brand ambassador, Thabiso Sikwane.
In addition to the anti-bullying campaign and 50 Shades of Inclusivity, the Mandela Month programme also featured the 67 SOW fundraising campaign, which supports struggling artists, athletes and grassroots arts and sports development.
