THE special adviser to the Erongo governor has advised parents to grab every opportunity to enrol their children in youth mentorship programmes.
Bobby Kandjala said this at the launch of the Project 29 Youth mentorship project at Swakopmund last Saturday.
The programme seeks to turn Namibian teenagers into purpose-driven, God-fearing and academic giants again.
Kandjala said the youth are the future of the country, but some elements turn them into unruly children.
She also said the world was changing rapidly, especially now that children are exposed to social media, which is causing dramatic shifts in their lives.
“When you look around, you will see that our youth are forever staring at their phones. Parents have no idea what they are exposed to, and only think that their children are safe in their rooms.
“Others are under the bondage of peer pressure. It is time to embrace the concept of mentorship for children if we want them to follow the right direction.
“Many of us would not be here today without the support of people who mentored and pushed us,” she said.
She noted that programmes such as the Project 29 Youth Mentorship Programme launched at Walvis Bay in July, should be grabbed with both hands, especially when it comes free and offered by other successful youth.
Kandjala also said studies have shown that young people who have mentors have a great chance of proceeding to tertiary education and staying out of trouble, while they are also likely to plough back into their communities.
This, she said, could turn into a cycle that can change the state of communities.
She, however, said that mentorship is a group effort that needs the support of parents.
“Mentorship is not only limited to the instructors. Start speaking blessings over your child, because it determines what they will become.
“Children manifest the words you talk to them, especially when you are angry. If you say he is a good for nothing and will stay like that, he will. Correct the child but do not speak bad things over them.”
Kandjala urged the youth to stop using the excuse of poverty for their unruly behaviour and failure.
“If you put your mind to it, you can do it. If you want to change your direction, rebuke every word spoken against you, either by your parents or community members.
“You can change your direction if you choose to, but you also need to listen to the advice of your parents, whether they are poor or uneducated. You are too young to follow your head,” she said.
Pupils and their parents from various schools at Swakopmund were selected to attend the event and received mentors who will be supporting them throughout their high school career.
The Project 29 programme mainly targets Grade 7 and eight pupils who have fallen into challenges such as alcohol and drug abuse, unruly behaviour, teenage pregnancies and poor school performance.
Pupils were motivated by successful young adults who are prospering in life, best learners from various schools and members of the Walvis Bay correctional services, amongst others, who told them about the dangers of choosing wrong paths.
They also had a youth church service that aimed at guiding them spiritually.
The project has been a success since it was first launched at Walvis Bay in July, and residents from other towns have asked for it to be implemented in their towns.
The group that consists of Walvis Bay working youth will be launching the project in various towns in the country.
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