Young Christian Students: Healthy dissent in building student leadership

by Admin · February 24, 2022

Managing healthy dissent in a constructive and respectful manner was a worthy discovery and an important lesson for the Young Christian Students (YCS) Support Group, established to provide assistance to YCS school groups.

The YCS Support Group, also known as “Tshehetso,” (seSotho for “support”), gathered at the Vaaldam from February 18-20. It was made up of some former YCS schools students: Kamohelo Qhala (Immaculata High School in Soweto, now a 3^rd year Witsie), Letia Offentse Matlhasedi (Holy Family College, Parktown – AFDA graduate) and Vasti Hanni (youth worker and teacher). Absent due to other obligations, including for study and Church leadership duties, were Zanele Fengu (McAuley House – Wits graduate, now at UP and Corruption Watch), Zuko Msabalala (Immaculata High -3^rd Year Witsie) and teacher Mike Takkos (Wits YCS member from the 1980s).

Fr Mokesh K Morar, who joined YCS in 1988 in Middelburg, mapped out a detailed strategic plan for the next five years to accompany YCS SA Movement groups.

Part of the review in the workshop included an assessment and strategy with the eight YCS groups that existed prior to the Covid-19 pandemic and finding ways to establish new groups in and around Gauteng (with one already in Petrus Steyn, Free State).

“The group learnt from their discussions and debates that working in a constructive collaborative way helps in handling differences and conflict that will come up in high school groups as part of life. Also how to hold each other accountable when building ethical and strong leadership,” Fr Morar said.

A project started in 2020 aimed at finding ways for YCS high school students to use social media, including WhatsApp, is intended to encourage hesitant family and friends to consider taking the Covid-19 vaccine but making sure it is safe.

The YCS group at Holy Family College already had two group discussions on the matter, led by former YCS members. Several other former YCS members are also keen to help facilitate training sessions for YCS high school groups. “This is an encouraging sign of wanting to ‘plough back’ by former members,” Fr Morar said.

The learning went two ways: the team successfully taught Fr Morar how to cook for others and to catch up with the latest technical IT development such as the use of Google Drive and Meets.