Thursday: 26 June  2003

This site will be updated on: 03 July  2003 at 17:00

Youth - Jeug

• Hands off children!
• Thumbs up to a great South African year

THIS body is mine and I can decide who touches it.

This is the message that was conveyed to pupils at local schools last week, when the Hands Off Our Children (HOOC) campaign was launched in Paarl.

This project was the initiative of Leonard Ramatlakane, Minister of Community Safety, to address the national crisis of child abuse and advocates prevention of this crime in all its forms.

police. Therefore children are encouraged to speak out when they are being abused and they are educated about their rights and responsibilities.

A one-hour show was presented at local schools Orleansvale Primary, Noorder-Paarl Secondary, Nederburg Primary, WA Joubert Primary and Dalweide Primary.

The youngsters were entertained by Martin and Melony Mouse (played by Noël Oostendorp and Stephanie Hough), who portrayed different scenes of child abuse to teach children how to distinguish between the right and wrong kinds of physical touching.

A puppet was used to point out their private parts to the grade 3's and 4's and they were also taught to say no to potential abusers, by the singing of songs.

Each pupil also received a wrist-band with the tollfree Childline number on it.

According to Ramatlakane, the idea of "your child is my child" must become a way of life for everyone."

EVERYTHING is very different from home, but South Africa is nevertheless a great place.

This is what exchange students Lisa Golaschewski (17) from Recklinghausen in Germany, and Bubu Rodh (17) from Guggisberg in Switzerland, say about the country they have lived in for eleven months, experiencing the unknown and blending in with a whole different culture.

They came to South Africa as part of the Youth for Understanding (YFU) International Student Exchange programme last year, with students from as far as from Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands and Estonia.

And what a great time these two have here in Paarl, living respectively in Denneburg with the Daniels family and the Eksteens at Drakenstein Correctional Services.

Said Lisa, who lived in Denneburg: "The thing I love most about Paarl, is the town itself. It is just the right size for you to go to town and meet everybody you know there.

"I never got bored here.

It wasn't actually a sight-seeing experience for me, since I came here to understand South Africa and live like the normal residents."

Bubu said she wanted to experience the different cultures there are amongst South Africans.

"In Klein Nederburg Secondary I learnt to speak Afrikaans and discovered that local children have a lot of respect for their teachers."

The only negative impression they have of South Africa, is the escalating crime rate.

"In our countries we are used to being independent and going out late at night. Here you have to be so careful all the time."

They both agree that they will definitely come back to South Africa one day.

"South Africa is now a part of me and I have a family, my host family, here as well."

[ List of Schools / Skolelys ]