Africa Jam is a youth empowerment organization that provides hope, unity, and community in the lives of young people living in Cape Town, South Africa. Two years ago I had an incredible experience visiting this organization and was able to witness first-hand the tremendous impact of its programs.

Campers participate in small group activities that spark discussions about relationships, self-esteem, and socially-relevant issues.

What Africa Jam seeks to do is to promote healthy life choices, build self-esteem, and offer young people a positive and nurturing environment. Through afterschool programs, youth groups, and a summer camp, the organization maintains several avenues to reach youth with a message of hope and optimism for their future. The majority of the young people involved in Africa Jam live in one of Cape Town’s many townships. Many South African youth are confronted with serious problems including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, poverty and drug use in their communities. The organization offers a sense of community and a place of solace from the difficulties of life.

At Africa Jam’s summer camp young people express themselves through visual arts.

My time with Africa Jam was spent experiencing its summer camp program. For one week I was included in all aspects of camp life: activities, meal preparation, facility maintenance, and everything in between. I absorbed all I was exposed to and learned much about the community we worked with through that process. The camp’s theme for the week was “Battle for Life,” a theme that seemed to capture the consequence of the tribulations that South African young people encounter. On so many levels, these young people were battling for their lives—for life free from HIV, poverty, violence, and drugs. The battleground is not a faraway place; it is in their homes, communities, and neighborhoods. Though the battleground is physically inescapable, these kids are uplifted by Africa Jam’s programs and are looking towards a brighter future.

During the camp week the organization addressed several issues through presentations and activities. One particularly memorable presentation came from a young woman who spoke to the entire camp about her HIV-positive status and story. She captivated the audience with her relatable nature and message of caution, self-esteem, and acceptance. South Africa has the highest HIV infection rate in the world, with most new infections affecting females ages 16 to 25. This presentation from a young person to her peers was incredibly powerful because anyone in the room could have easily been her.

A group of campers perform an original skit for the entertainment of other campers, counselors, and visitors.

Along with conventional presentations, the camp week was also filled with activities that focused on teamwork, problem solving, and discussions about life. In small groups, discussions about friendships, family, drugs, and relationships took place. Self-expression and healthy debate was always encouraged. Many activities required campers to work together in small teams to solve a problem, create a skit, sing a song or choreograph a dance. Music was a mainstay in the camp where it served as a form of entertainment, method of expression, and vehicle for healing. During that week everyone enjoyed life as well as discussed how to make it better.

A township neighborhood in Cape Town, South Africa.

Making the best of a difficult situation is a practice that I took away from my experience with Africa Jam. Did the kids I met face difficult situations? Yes. Did they encounter or live in poverty? Yes. Were they exposed to HIV/AIDS and drug use in their communities? Yes. Did it break their spirit? NO. It certainly did not. In part, I think, because they have an organization that cares about their futures and assists them in confronting life’s difficulties. In a place where it’s easy to feel discouraged about so many problems, it was truly inspiring to witness what can happen when positivity and hope rein.

For more information visit http://www.myafricajam.org.

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 24th, 2008 at 12:00 pm and is filed under Organizations, Volunteers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.