‘I wanted our youth to learn from the youth of 1976’

Add as a preferred source on Google

The 16-year-old Nasiphi Dephana from Minerva Secondary School in Alexandra took third place at this year’s Bokamoso creative essay writing competition which recently held in Johannesburg.

The competition aimed to give high school learners from no-fee and partly-funded high schools across Gauteng the opportunity to let their talent shine through creative writing.

Nasiphi, who aspires to become a chartered accountant one day, was one of six finalists and brought home R1 000 for her 1 000-word essay titled Moving back, Moving Forward. My dream about South Africa about the effects of crime, drugs, substance abuse and alcohol in society.

She explained, “Through my essay, I wanted to share with government what I think are the solutions to the issues of drugs, substance abuse and teenage pregnancy. Our peers are victims of these things because they don’t have people to mentor and guide them. I also wanted our youth to learn from the youth of 1976 on how they used what they had to achieve better education that we enjoy today.”

Nasiphi said she felt that the youth was not given a fair chance to express themselves on challenges they face every day. “As young people in the township, we are not given a platform in which we can express ourselves about what leads us to drugs and having unprotected sex that usually results in unplanned teenage pregnancy. No one talks to us about these things and I felt that the competition was the right platform for me to share my views.”

George Baloyi who is an English teacher at the school said he knew that Nasiphi would bring the prize home. “I knew from the day she told me that she was going to enter the competition that one more win was in the pipeline for the school. Every time we have school competition she doesn’t disappoint,” Baloyi said.

“I am very proud of her work and I am confident that she will bring us more accolades.”

Related article:

Realogile Secondary is on the up