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Gender Based Violence and Femicide in South Africa.
Hi. I’m Kamogelo. I’m 17 years old from Johannesburg, South Africa and I live in a country that hates women. A story I’ll never forget is the one of Uyinene Mrwetyana. She was a 19 year old student at the University of Cape Town who on the 24th of August 2019 was raped and brutally murdered by Luyanda Botha, an employee at the post office, when she went to the post office to pick up a package. I’m telling her story because she didn’t live to tell it. I’m saying his name because he deserves to be known and I will not be protecting the identity of a murderer and rapist. He pled guilty and got 3...
Universe One
In the universe lies existence In existence bodes humanity Singularity of humanity births human In a compartment births the sight of the universe It's just a cycle The universe is you And you are the universe Every sight of the eye shows the existence of different universe. An identity of presence. ©ultimate_legend
Every young refugee has a story worth telling
One of the purposes of the Refugee Youth Voices Project is to shine light on the experiences, trials, and joys of refugee youth (ages 15-24) across the world, a group that is often left voiceless and badgered by stigma, myths, and misconceptions. At the core of the student-led project that I created, is a central mission to portray refugee youth as they really are: youth who have fled unimaginable conflicts and left everything behind in their homelands, but also youth who want to spend quality time with their friends and chase after their dreams. This is a personal story written by a Syrian...
It's time to take action!
George Floyd's murder was the result of years of oppression against black people in the United States. Unjustly murdered and mistreated by the police, he has made us see the harsh reality that many ignored, the truth of the system in which we live. A system that instead of being made to help, is made to oppress others. We cannot continue to ignore the fact that they kill people for no reason, just because of the color of their skin. Black people are our brothers and sisters, we have to raise our voices and demand dignified treatment for them, not only in the US but in the world. Racism has...
Youth Day!!
Youth Day in South Africa commemorates the Soweto Uprising, which took place on 16 June 1976, where thousands of students were ambushed by the apartheid regime. On Youth Day, South Africans pay tribute to the lives of these students and recognize the role of the youth in the liberation of South Africa from the apartheid regime. Today, in SA all their sacrifices were worthwhile. As a youth today we get to choose if we want to learn Afrikaans or not. We have 11 official languages in SA where school subjects are taught in these languages.
The Greatest Shoal on Earth
Annually during the months of May through to July, an ocean phenomenon occurs in South Africa. It’s a time of plenty for all, as large shoals of sardines move in a band up to the Kwa Zulu Natal coast. Crowds of varied, frenzied sharks, gamefish, whales, dolphins, birds and even humans prey on these millions of shiny fish that migrate from the icy waters of the Cape to the warmer waters of the Kwa Zulu Natal coast. Although the great bulk of South Africa's sardine stock is to be found in the cooler Cape waters, each winter a small proportion of the stock moves eastwards up the Wild Coast. These...
Sexism...what?
Menstrual Rights: the WASH dream under COVID-19
“Clean hands with soap and water, cover nose and mouth with tissue or flexed elbow when coughing and sneezing, practice social distancing…” are amongst the safety measures issued by the World Health Organisation encouraging the public to minimise exposure to the risk of contracting the coronavirus (COVID-19). One cannot resist the air of melancholy currently ravaging the world much like the pandemic; exacerbating the existing plight of lack of access to menstrual health and hygiene management (MHM) for all. To a greater extent, it can be assimilated that there exists a wider correlation...
'B' for the Beauty of Being
Everyone and everything is absolutely beautiful. Sometimes you need a special situation to realize certain things. Staying at home gave me an opportunity to understand what I want and who I am. I started to notice the beauty of being and sharing. Being a human being and sharing knowledge and love. Being a tree and sharing air and fruits. Being an earthworm and sharing the care about the earth and etc. Give yourself some time to realize it. I did and it's a part of my daily routine. Be a friendly alien who didn't come to Earth to destroy everything.
The Endangered Black Man
As a child, I idolised the American lifestyle. I marvelled at the affordable and stylish clothing, the variety of foods and amazing places to go...I was in love. At times, I did not want to return to Barbados just yet and I couldn't wait to get back on the plane. I even planned one day to live there and experience the American dream. But one day, I had a nightmare about the American dream and I jumped up. I fell off the bed, opened my eyes and my vision has never been clearer. My grandmother and mother always cautioned my tall black uncle about wearing his hoodie in public, about being too...
The Environment: Post-Pandemic Possibilities
As we delve deeper into the ambush of COVID-19, the notion of the increase of environmental awareness has been put into question. From the pre-eminent headlines of the decline of Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) emissions in Northern Italy, drop of coal usage by 40% in China, the possibility of Germany achieving its climate goals to the calming sound of birdsong in areas where there were none, one thing is certain: nature is taking a breath of relief, enjoying a break from our environmental footprint. The global lockdown has certainly unmasked the reality of the environmental conditions and highlighted...
Sustainability: Looking Ahead
Singapore’s landscape is densely-populated, a concrete-jungle it can sometimes seem. As highlighted in Singapore’s NDC (Nationally Determined Contributions, intended to be presented at the COP meeting in 2020), it is important to consider urban planning for the future. I was first introduced to vertical farming for my exhibition in grade 4, when it was still a blossoming idea. Now, in cities around the world, planting trees in urban areas is seen as a way to still contribute to forestry while not losing out on property profit. In Milan, the hometown architect Stefano Boeri designed aesthetic...
The Uncertain Future | NGO Work
#COVID-Stories Salma | NGO Worker | Amman, Jordan How have you been spending your time during the quarantine In Jordan? S: After a few days of the quarantine I started to feel tired of being home all the time, so I tried to make a daily routine. Thankfully my father has a garden, so I sit outside to enjoy nature and read books. Later, my family and I have lunch and watch TV or movies together. We like to sit and chat about family, which is nice for me because normally I am so far away from them so I don’t have the opportunity to talk about family (laughs). How has COVID-19 changed your...
Barriers to Serving My Community | Gaza Camp
#COVID-Stories Marwa | Charity Worker + Photographer | Jerash, Jordan How has COVID-19 affected the groups/individuals that your charity serves? The charity has stopped working except in cases of emergency. Every Ramadan, the charity carries out many projects, the most important are the collective Iftars and the purchase of Al Eid clothes for children. Refugees have very few chances to survive, as they're prohibited from working and don't have health insurance, so they often suffer from food and basic needs shortage. We’re getting a lot of calls from people who have nothing to eat or feed...
Covid-19 A Student's Perspective
Let me set the scene for America about 3 months ago. Was our country not taking this situation seriously? The deciding government had not taken any actions yet and cases continued to rise. Fast forward to today? Well, we hear in the news that America has low testing kits, and other important supplies are in need for our health professionals. In California, where I stay, Beaches, State Parks, restaurants and all non-essential business are closed. Even sports are cancelled. We could have been more prepared for this situation considering the time we had. Now, COVID-19 has had a direct impact on...
Mauritius launches it's first Youth Parliament
Wake up!
There are nearly 8 million people living in slavery across India and most of them are women and children. Human trafficking is a vicious self perpetuating cycle that offers little way out. The local police can be a part of the problem in many cases. For many policemen, prostitution is big money. In fact, they fight for the extra cash they can make in bribes. In the Philippines, more than 800,000 women and children work in the sex trade. The major cause of human trafficking is the desperation to escape poverty, regarding the traffickers and the ones being trafficked. Although we do not know...