Don’t Kill Yourself, We Are Here!

Kabelo Mampa, a 2019 Activator who’s also a qualified Bookkeeper, is from the village of gaMolapo in Limpopo. As Mampa was working as an Educator Assistant, she noted the literacy rate of those high school – they cannot read to comprehend or carry out an instruction in English. One of the consequences of this is the high unemployment rate and their complacence with their state – they thus cannot understand the extend to which their rights as citizens can be exercised to the benefit of their community and themselves as stakeholders. This is quite concerning as the local government elections are nigh and there’s no indication of civil leadership with regards to issues of service delivery.
Consequently, Mampa began her journey with an initiative called “Disrupting the Narrative” which highlighted taboo topics together with other 2019 Activators: Esihle Dayimani and Bonga Mahlati. According to her, some of the issues that people are silent about place communities at a disadvantage. The subject of discussion which was of particular interest to them was mental health – the idea was to speak about this at any given chance whether it takes place formally or informally. It is thus significant to give a voice to uncomfortable topics if society stands a chance at severing toxic cycles which only breed what social media now calls “a sad generation.”
Interestingly, whilst Mampa will be representing ACTIVATE!’s #ImNotCrazy campaign, she is a Coordinator at Make A Mark Africa which has embarked on #MatricUngazibulali Campaign in partnership with Department of Education and the local Magatle circuit. Other stakeholders include those working at student support and varsity graduates. Together, the team will be addressing suicidal ideation and suicide; depression and anxiety, and fostering a support system in times of need.
The goal is to motivate matriculants in order to make them less anxious about their final exams and to encourage them to reach out when the process feels too overwhelming. Mampa states that this campaign is especially significant leading up to the upcoming assessments because more likely than not, pupils often have these intrusive thoughts and self-doubt around this time of the year and shortly after the results. The campaign includes scheduled school visits which will cover schools such as Tubake Senior Secondary School; Makgwading High School, and Kgakala High School throughout the course of this week.
Question: What are your next plans in the future regarding mental health and how can ACTIVATE! include you in the 2022 plans?
Significant to note, Mampa is currently applying to have a youth hub in her area through ACTIVATE! She states how it will assist the youth through having mental health professionals who will help them with navigating issues associated with growing pains: sexuality, unemployment, access to resources, family dynamics, etc. More importantly, Mampa highlights the importance of exposing the youth to success stories of people who had been in similar positions but overcame them with support. In her words:
“The youth hub will help me and the youth in my area if we can have weekly discussions regarding life and the problems that the youth face especially since the majority are from broken families. Access to the internet will help expose them to a change of scenery at their fingertips. Essentially, they need a space to express themselves.”
Responses