Session on “Do you speak youth?”

The session started with the facilitator (Laura Washington) defining what Youth meant to different individuals and organizations. Participants were asked to identify different ways of working with young people.

Organizations in South Africa such as Wilderness Foundation, PACSA, Ophondweni Youth and Development Initiative and CATCH Project gave an insight on the work they do with or for young people. They shared experiences, visions, and challenges of working with this so-called ‘transitional age group’. Most of the challenges faced among these organizations were similar in terms of youth mobility, lack of facilities, funding and resources.

Participants were then asked to break-up into groups to discuss recommendations of working better with young people and the kind of message participants would like to give to others. The following were the key recommendations:

• Respect the rights of young women when they say ‘No’
• Delaying Debut (Waiting for the right time to have sex and the ability to negotiate for safe sex)
• Meaningful involvement if young people at all levels
• Provide a youth friendly environment where young people can take ownership
• Consistent, appropriate and updated messaging for young people
• ABC of HIV (participants argued that it maybe no longer be working in societies)