Lessons learned at Klapmuts have relevance in Doha | Academia

Listening to what members of a community need and not imposing your preconceived ideas on them is a cornerstone of outreach work says Academia resident Lea Koekemoer, fresh from the Global Youth Consultation Conference for the upcoming World Humanitarian Summit in May 2016.

Listening to what members of a community need and not imposing your preconceived ideas on them is a cornerstone of outreach work says Academia resident Lea Koekemoer, fresh from the Global Youth Consultation Conference for the upcoming World Humanitarian Summit in May 2016.

Lea, a third-year Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences student, has been the driving force behind a project in conjunction with Klapmuts Primary School where up to 30 children have benefitted from a life skills programme. And it was armed with the experiences from this programme that she was chosen to participate in the recent Doha initiative.

‘This event was a global youth consultation with the aim of translating discussions and points into a policy which will be represented in Istanbul in 2016. This is to empower the youth to have a voice, and stand in the global atmosphere as we have a stake as future stakeholders and leaders in our respective fields. This conference really empowered the youth to have a voice in the global arena and to be accurately represented in the World Humanitarian Summit next year,’ says Lea.

‘The conference made me realise that there is a responsibility for students at a local level to develop and empower their surrounding communities. In the next year one of my Committee members – who has now become an ALC member – will be taking over the Klapmuts project. I will take a step back and mentor.

‘But coming from the conference, I have big dreams and ambitions within the South African context as I realised that my capacity as a single individual does not inhibit me from enacting change. There were four other South Africans that I met during the conference, another one of which is from Stellenbosch University; Chair Person of UNASA and newly elected Primaria of Metanoia, Ashanti Kunene.

‘My experience at the conference was humbling and life-changing in short. I met individuals from all over the world that are experiencing challenges that I could not imagine. It highlighted the areas which all the youth had identified with problems in the humanitarian aid arena as well as the vision which we have of a future where humanitarian aid will no longer be necessary: idealistic maybe but everything seems impossible until it is done.

‘In particular I met a Syrian girl from Damascus and had an in-depth conversation with her about her daily life experience as a youth living in one of the most conflicted zones, arguably, of this century. It showed me the need for the youth to find and believe in our common humanity: we laugh, cry and get angry at the same things. If that is not a common humanity then I do not know what is.

‘The conference was an eye opener for me as to the apathy of South Africans with regards to the issues which we face surrounding Xenophobia: something which was mentioned to me many times during the conference. I realised that we as South Africans have a civic responsibility in line with our constitution to aid and shelter those who are in need of it, regardless of ethnicity or tribe. It challenged me personally as to what was I doing to contribute. It challenged me in the capacity of a leader as to how would I be able to get other people to contribute and realise that servant leadership is at the core of the qualities of leadership. It also made me conscious of what I and other students are doing to hold the university and the government accountable.’

Lea is keen to put several plans in place, one of which is to initiate a national effort among universities to aid in conflict areas by providing relief and supplies. Also, in terms of social development, she hopes to encourage the integration of refugees into South African society.

Lea comes from a strong family history of social outreach. Clearly the values taught her earlier in life have fallen on fertile ground because she is someone who is making a real difference. Stellenbosch and Academia are fortunate to have students of her character and willingness to help. Here’s wishing Lea all the best in her future endeavours.