Vuka Youth Development Org

Vuka Ward 5 was established on Saturday 02 March 2013 at Amatshezulu High School, Georgedale in Ward 5 (Hammarsdale) after a group of concerned students graduated from Life Skills Empowerment course at World Changers Academy, sat down and looked at problems facing the community of this ward and its surroundings.

The organisation’s name derived from the” Vuka” which is a Zulu name meaning “Wake up” and “Ward 5” the location on the EThekwini region where the organisation was founded.

. MAJOR PROBLEMS THAT NEEDED AGENT ATTENTION WERE:
• Unemployment
• There are no Youth Development Programs
• No further skills development programs
• There no positive youth activities
• Youth use drugs to have fun
. MISSION
Vuka ward 5’s mission is to strive towards uplifting, developing and empowering the youth, women and disadvantaged families of Ward 5 and its surrounding areas without discrimination of any kind whatsoever.

. VISION
Our future vision for Ward five is to make it place where people are caring, compassionate, and respectful in their interactions with each other, and where community members are working together to create health society for everyone to enjoy. In this vision, we value the environmental resources that surround us and use them thoughtfully as we think about better ones, this is the needs of upcoming generations.
Our community takes personal and institutional responsibility for testing our assumptions, working to identify the root causes of our most youth residents problems, and creating solutions that will work. We are committed to addressing the disparities that have kept us divided and using our differences and commonalities to promote a real sense of inclusion, belonging, and acceptance so that everyone has the freedom to pursue their dreams while helping create a vibrant community.

Youth are the heart and future of our thriving community. We demonstrate this belief by sharing responsibility for and contributing to their overall health - physical, cognitive, emotional, social, and spiritual. We will make it a priority to provide the resources and opportunities young people need to develop in all these areas.
AT THE CORE OF THIS VISION, OUR YOUNG PEOPLE ARE:
• learning, exploring, having fun and are encouraged to pursue their passions – such as music, the arts, science, sports, or other activities that interest and challenge them;
• supported and guided by friends and caring, committed adults as they navigate through adolescence, making choices that benefit their health as they design their own life path;
• secure and hopeful about their future;
• conscious of the connection between their formal education and their ability to reach the goals they set for themselves;
• making schools work for them, contributing their ideas and feedback responsibly and frequently; exposed to and involved in a variety of exciting and invigorating work and career experiences (including apprenticeships, paid and volunteer internships, trade school and on-the-job mentoring);
• able to pursue a college education or training that helps them make productive contributions;
• actively using their knowledge and gifts to strengthen the broader community by mentoring their peers and younger siblings and working with adults on projects in their areas and beyond;
• Hopeful about our community’s ability to address larger societal issues together; like other adults in the community, embracing the value of service.

As youth flourish, positive youth/adult relationships become even more common. Some interactions are spontaneous – an adult smiles and greets a young person as he passes by. Others are more formal, originating in schools, congregations, public buildings and other settings where youth and adults work together on matters that are important to them. Youth feel proud of their contributions and grow up planning to continue their involvement - as civic activists, teachers, business and community leaders.
YOUTH AND FAMILIES
Our families are healthy and thriving. Parents and caregivers spend time with their children, talking, listening and celebrating their successes as well as those of other young people. Families respect differences in values, beliefs, and choices both within their own families and also in the broader community. They know that their voices in local decision-making processes are important and they actively participate in those efforts. Families encourage their children and youth to think about the future and support them in pursuing their dreams. When a family is in need, its members know where to turn for help and seek it, without reservation, because they know service providers will be caring and attentive. Families feel good about living in Georgedale Mophela, and Sankontshe and watching their children grow up this community.
COLLABORATIVE MOVEMENT
Public and private organizations provide community members with access to a variety of resources that support their well-being and success. These entities, working together, apply their strengths to create and maintain responsive and innovative programs. They set high standards for their work and routinely reflect on their progress in meeting established goals. They recognize the importance of incorporating community feedback as they work to make programs effective. Across the community, Vuka Ward five, institutions, and businesses share and act on the belief that everyone – from young children to seniors - has a vital part in ensuring that we continuously connect and help re- connect all residents of our community.
As individuals and as a community, we have made the commitment to building and sustaining the strong tradition of unity we have our culture
CULTURE
• Humanity
• Unity
• Heath lifestyle
• Positive Youth Development
• Substance Abuse Free