Youth Day on 16 June is a public holiday in South Africa and commemorates a protest which is known as the Soweto uprising of 1976. Thousands of black students protested against an official order which made Afrikaans compulsory in black township schools throughout the country by marching from their schools to Orlando Stadium. When the police responded, many children were shot and killed.
Sparking off thousands of similar protests in South Africa, this tragic event showcased the power of the youth to drive social change.
In the current era, HIV poses another, different challenge to a new generation of youth. Young people, especially young women (aged 15-24 years), bear a high risk of HIV infection, three times that of their male counterparts.
This Youth Month TB HIV Care and its sister page Young Wild and Free South Africa (YWFSA) have the following interactive online events available to discuss topics that affect the youth of South Africa today:
Event 1: Gender Based Violence and economic strengthening
Date: 18 June 2021
Time: 12:00 pm
Platform: Facebook @tbhivcare
Link: https://www.facebook.com/tbhivcare
Event 2: Harm Reduction and Youth
Date: 18 June 2021
Time: 17:30 pm
Platform: Facebook @YWFSA
Link: https://www.facebook.com/YWFSA
Event 3: How does GBV affect vulnerability to HIV?
Date: 21 June 2021
Time: 18:00 pm
Platform: Twitter @TBHIVCare
Link: https://twitter.com/TBHIVCare
Event 4: Gender Based Violence and economic strengthening part 2
Date: 24 June 2021
Time: 12:00pm
Platform: Facebook @tbhivcare
Link: https://www.facebook.com/tbhivcare
Event 5: Sexuality
Date: 25 June 2021
Time: 17:30 pm
Platform: Facebook @YWFSA
