“Don't judge yourself by what others did to you.”
~ C. Kennedy, Ómorphi ~
We learnt that sports programs on their own are not enough to create safe spaces for young people and their caregivers. We needed to introduce educational and leadership programs for our soccer and netball coaches and volunteers to equip them with knowledge and skills to help them become better leaders that can manage issues of abuse, gender-based violence and bullying. This led to Gender-Based Violence Leadership workshop camps and dialogues designed to engage, educate and impart knowledge about GBV to the beneficiaries and on a larger scale, their communities.
One of the key modules we address during our GBV workshops is the issue of mental health care. There’s still a huge stigma around the issue of seeking mental health support in South Africa and what is alarming is the fact that the number of suicides being committed amongst the youths is further exacerbated by mental health issues such as depression. Diski Nine9 has partnered with mental health providers to provide ongoing mental health support to workshop participants, Diski Nine9 staff, and its volunteers to ensure that they receive adequate help at their own convenient time.
As a growing organization and trying to meet the needs of our communities, in 2021, Diski Nine9 partnered with one of the biggest school uniform manufacturing companies in South Africa to giveaway school shoes and uniforms to 15 children who are from very poor backgrounds. This initiative is part of our way to allow kids to be kids and help them focus on their academics while wearing their school uniform with pride and confidence.
Diski Nine9