While people across the country held various festivities in honour of Heritage Day this week, the Guga Arts and Craft Association in partnership with various other organisations held a dialogue between young people and parents in an effort to iron out their differences.
Under the theme “War room”, the event was aimed at creating a platform for young people to voice their issues.
Association member Zola Fengqe said young people were battling with countless life challenges, noting that they had discovered that people who become parents at a young age were often not supportive of their children.
This, she said, contributed to children being lured into crime and drug use.
She said one of the key messages that was delivered to young people was that they should embrace their identity and be proud of who they are. “The future of our children lies in our hands. We should be more open to our children so that they don’t fear to talk about their problems.
“We need to mould and change their behaviour by being more involved in their lives.
“We should do our part in shaping their thinking. But we must give them the freedom and a
platform to express their emotions and feelings. We want to build a strong and healthy relationship between parents and children,” she said.
Ms Fengqe said part of their work was to shape the attitudes of young men and boys towards women.
Ward councillor Nomtha Dilima said it was important for parents and children to be able to speak openly about their challenges.
She said children needed to be mentored and guided all the time and as parents they should not crucify them for their mistakes, but rather provide support while ensuring that they don’t make the same mistakes again.
Renowned director and playright, Fatima Dike, talked about the history of Langa. Ms Dike said it was important that young people know the history of their community.