Forever Home
Oblates of Mary Immaculate, Durban, South Africa
INTRODUCTION
The Oblates of Mary Immaculate are a group of Catholic priests who work across the world, ministering especially to the poor and abandoned. They have been in Southern Africa for over 150 years. Youth are seen as a priority in terms of their need to discover their innate power and identity as a unique and special creation. FOREVER HOME is one of the many initiatives that work towards this goal. FOREVER HOME is an original musical which conveys a message of empowerment to young people. It is written and produced by the youth, to conscientise them towards embracing healthy lifestyle values and empowering them to make informed decisions. This is a holistic and accessible approach in addressing the high level of HIV infection, drug addiction and gangsterism among urban youth. It is a celebration of the power of youth and an affirmation of what we believe can be achieved when youth are offered life-giving opportunities.
PROJECT SUMMARY:
FOREVER HOME began in the community of Sydenham, situated on the
outskirts of the city of Durban. The community is largely of a
low-income sector and has been historically disadvantaged in the
socio-economic sphere under apartheid discriminatory laws. The
project also spans other similarly disadvantaged communities and
townships. All of these places have more or less the same challenges
as the Sydenham community i.e. HIV/AIDS, drug addiction, lack of
morale among youth, lack of facilities and amenities and high rates
of unemployment.
The underlying problem which FOREVER HOME seeks to address is that
of the poor morale and self esteem among young people, as this is
what often leads to unemployment and crime. Moreover unhealthy
lifestyles and irresponsible decision-making have led to a high
prevalence of HIV/AIDS which in turn is closely related to the
disempowerment and abuse of women and children. In seeking to
harness the beauty, talent and worth of each individual, FOREVER
HOME seeks to break this cycle of poverty and disempowerment.
The objective in using the media of drama, music and dance is that
it provokes and promotes behaviour change among youth from the level
of their consciences. The youth see the production and see their own
lives being acted out which gives them a sense of recognition and
empowerment. The production is also informative and through its
dialogue and music, teaches youth about issues which hopefully lead
to responsible behaviour and informed decision-making.
As is written in its brochure, FOREVER HOME "tells the story of
finding what we are looking for in a place we often take for
granted. As Nate embarks on his proverbial journey of a lifetime, we
see the potential within ourselves to also find our place of
power......No family is perfect and every child grows up searching
for identity, security, respect. The youth who have bravely made up
the cast and crew, are themselves the expression of this journey.
Their performance expresses the possibilities that unfold in merely
taking the first step on such an adventure. Our cast and crew
started with the project as inexperienced, nervous and anxious
teenagers. This jouney has given them the faith to believe and they
have now emerged as confident, beautiful, bold young men and women."
A total of 123 youth have already participated in the show directly
as both cast and crew, and through its performances it has reached
out to more than 200,000 people. Its impact has been significant in
that it has provided an opportunity for youth to develop their
skills as performers and to also develop their leadership skills. It
has also spread a message of hope and motivation to the youth and to
society at large who struggle with the influences of substance
abuse, crime and HIV/AIDS. However, the productions real strength is
that it empowers people from disadvantaged backgrounds to adopt
healthy lifestyles and to make informed and conscious, thoughtful
decisions about their lives.
FOREVER HOME is the pilot project of a much larger vision of a youth
centre run by both priests and lay people and the youth themselves.
Equipment purchased and used for the production of FOREVER HOME will
also be used in the establishment of a proper centre for youth where
they can grow in their psycho-social development through the medium
of music-drama-dance therapy. The aim of this center is to
eventually become a youth development project which will include
drug rehabilitation, a counselling centre, spirituality programmes
and youth life-skills training workshops. These will be in addition
to the music-drama-dance therapy programmes. FOREVER HOME, although
extremely significant in its own right, is the first step towards
this.
For additional information click on
www.foreverhome.co.za
CONCLUSION
FOREVER HOME through its medium of song and dance is instantly accessible to young people. It speaks more than words can to show young people what they have the potential to become once they find their own sense of worth. It also illustrates the obstacles that can prevent them from reaching their full potential, obstacles such as drugs, HIV/AIDS and crime. Through its story and through the active participation of the youth in its production or as part of its audience, FOREVER HOME inspires young people to realise their own worth and to achieve their full potential. The impact of this is significant as increased self esteem will make young people less likely to engage in destructive behaviour and so has a contributing factor to play in breaking cycles of poverty as well as offering alternative ways to live.