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Lively Youth Day celebrations
The Community Engagement and Outreach Directorate recently hosted a lively Youth Day celebration in the ZK Mathews Hall on the Muckleneuk campus.
Unisa peer educators and speakers from the South African Police Service (SAPS) and Human Rights Commission participated in the event. In his opening address, the Director of Student Affairs, Mr Maluleke, said that South Africa is a unique country and its youth must ensure that it thrives against all odds. "Our youth has challenges to deal with, including HIV and Aids." He added that the youth must ensure that South Africa is able to compete successfully with the world super economies.
The HIV/Aids peer educators conducted a candle lighting ceremony. Everybody was given a candle to light as the song "Heal the world" played in the background. The audience was asked not to blow out their candles but rather to put them out using their hands so as to feel the pain of the people infected and affected by the disease.
Captain Colette Weilbach from the SAPS gave a lecture on drugs. She spoke about the signs to look out for if someone is using drugs. The students asked how they could help a person who starts using drugs. She advised the students not to confront people with questions such as "Where do you get your drugs from?" Rather, "come from an angle of love and tell that person about the dangers he or she is being exposed to by using drug."
Mr Convy Baloyi, Unisa's Dean of Students, told the audience that the youth of 16 June 1976 stood for justice and motivated them to "become outstanding people by being outstanding." He urged the youth to make use of the opportunities available to them. The representative from the Human Rights Commission spoke to the students about the importance of the Constitution. He said that the Constitution created a new value system. "Some people have not yet started enjoying it. It needs the youth to ensure that they read it and understand it better," he said.
The highlight of the day was the performance by the award winning group Rhythmic Elements. | 
