South Africa: The Department of Social Development through Community Development and Partnerships and the QwaQwa Office’s Older Persons Unit hosted an Intergenerational dialogue at Makoane Hall, QwaQwa.
The dialogue brought both youth and senior citizens together in one space where they were given a platform in the form of a dialogue on the innovative ways to mould the behaviour of the youth as well as to find the reasons why the youth have lost the willpower to thrive for a better future.
The main purpose of the intergenerational dialogue was to get youth and seniors to engage with one another and discover a common understanding to comprehend the frustration both parties are experiencing on a daily basis. Both groups were challenged to solve complex problems that both groups faced in their communities.
Substance abuse became a burning issue during the dialogue.
Unemployment is one of the reasons mentioned by youth that frustrate them. They have plenty of time to do nothing. Subsequently, they turn to a substance to better their mood.
Seniors vowed to support the youth and even provided tips on how to become entrepreneurs so that they could create employment for their peers.
A commitment was made that this would not be a once-off dialogue but that more will be held.
