Shadreck Setti, from Activate! Change Drivers, and Zilungile Zimela, from FunDza Literacy Trust, get ready for the show!
FunDza Literacy Trust has joined forces with Activate Change Drivers to promote an active citizenry and the love of reading through a show called #ActivateHour on Bush Radio 89.5FM. The radio show airs fortnightly on a Thursday from 3pm to 4pm. On the show, we discuss issues that affect young people and we focus on the ripples of change that SA’s youth are championing through their actions and daily lives.
The show features Zilungile Zimela (FunDza’s Marketing, Communications and Partnerships Officer) and Shadreck Setti (from ACTIVATE!) as the hosts. In the interactive discussions they engage with guests to speak about the community projects in which they are involved. FunDza’s “Reading for Enjoyment” feature focuses on FunDza’s young writers and bloggers, who have written pieces and books that have been published online through fundza.mobi or in print anthologies.
#ActivateHour debuted on Women’s Day, 9 August 2018, and for the month of August the theme for many of the discussions was on gender-based violence. Thus, the books and authors selected to talk during the month were either community-based activists fighting against gender-based violence or those who had written stories or pieces on the topic. Given the high prevalence of GBV in South Africa, it is vital that we raise awareness of the issue and work to address the gruesome statistics.
On the debut show Zilungile introduced listeners to one of FunDza’s popular MindSpace bloggers: Michelle Myeko – a mother, writer and feminist – and invited listeners to go and read some of her blogs. In the show two weeks later, Michelle was interviewed live.
Michelle’s writing touches on a range of topics. Of particular interest are her blogs that interrogate gender bias particularly in how children are socialised. Her insightful blog, Boys don’t cry, speaks about how boy children are taught to be strong and to not show affection whilst girls are encouraged to take on the role of nurturer. “Boys need to be taught that it is good for them to show their emotions and to cry when the need arises and girls need to be taught that their place in the world is not only in the kitchen,” Michelle writes. Read the full blog here.
In September the focus of the show will shift to celebrate Heritage month and the diversity of South Africa’s cultures. Join us on 6 September from 3pm to 4pm on Bush Radio 89.5FM. On that day we’ll be introducing one of our earliest mentee writers, Sonwabiso Ngcowa, who since starting to write for FunDza in 2012 has gone on to publish a novel that has been translated into German and published in that country, as well as co-writing a book with Melanie Verwoerd. Sonwabiso will be interviewed on the show two weeks later.