We often say, somewhat glibly, that “young people are our future”. But what does that mean in practice? What responsibility does it place on us as a society?
In June 1976, young South Africans rose up against apartheid policies that directly affected their futures. Today, many young people are looking beyond our borders because they are sceptical about the future South Africa can offer them. This is something we in the Cape Town Jewish community should also reflect on. Will enough young people choose to stay and sustain a meaningful community here in the years ahead?
For most South Africans, the future they are likely to have depends largely on what the state and civil society provide during their formative years. And too often, what is available falls far short of what is needed.
As part of the Mensch Volunteer Programme, I recently visited Hangberg in Hout Bay – a fishing community facing extreme poverty, worsened by failed government interventions that left many fishermen without licences and livelihoods.
Our group spent time at an Early Childhood Development Centre established by a local woman with limited resources but immense compassion. Across South Africa, many ECDs exist because ordinary people, often women without wealth, training, or infrastructure, step in where the state has failed.
We should be deeply grateful to these individuals because the work they do shapes all our futures. Every child who gains access to meaningful early childhood education is more likely to become an adult who contributes positively to society rather than one vulnerable to crime, addiction, or homelessness.
Research consistently shows that the first five years of life are critical in shaping learning, behaviour, and health outcomes. As the Director of Ikamva Labantu – the remarkable organisation founded by our own Helen Lieberman – has said: “The first five years of life lay the foundations for learning, behaviour and health. If those years are missing support, the gap begins to widen before a child even enters Grade 1.”
There is ample evidence that children with strong early foundations are far more likely to thrive at school and beyond. That means the child growing up in Hangberg, whose future might otherwise have been defined by hardship, can instead have the opportunity to realise their potential and become a contributing member of society.
The support organisations like Mensch provide may not transform the country overnight, but it can transform individual lives – and that matters enormously. If we want a better future for South Africa, we must invest in the lives of young children today.
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