Poverty Vs Priorities
Are we hungry because we don’t have or because we don’t prioritize?
The people staying in South African townships are considered to be the poor of the
poorest more special in the black communities. Some of them actually sleep without
having something to eat at all. According to the 2015 stats estimates of the number of
hungry people in South Africa fluctuate around 14 million. The most recent
nationally representative data suggests the figure is much lower.”
While most people are the victim of hunger, one cannot believe that some of them
are working and earning good money but they make alcohol and drug abuse a
priority. You cannot believe when you go to the taverns/bars how much one
individual spend per day in buying alcohol just to impress friends and opposite sex
either man or woman. A loaf of bread costs as little as R10 and a bottle of beer is
R16 but one would sleep on an empty stomach while drunk from a case of beer. So
the question is, are black people poor or they are just poor in thinking?
A black young man can drive the latest golf seven while staying in a shack with an old
furniture, 2 per of jeans and one pair of shoes. One would actually feel sorry for such
a person even though he had means to have a decent life, feed his/her family, build
a house and buy a decent second hand vehicle if needed, but no material things
comes first. This all comes down to prioritizing.
Alcohol Abuse Vs Poverty
The war against drugs and alcohol abuse is a never ending fight and it is getting worse in South African disadvantaged communities. The stats has proven that alcohol plays huge impact in murders and most criminal activities that are taking place in the townships. In 2011 the Congress of SA Trade Unions general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said, “It is unemployment that drives so many to booze and other substance abuse,” he said in an address prepared for delivery at the 2nd Biennial Substance Abuse Summit in Durban”. He futhermore said if we cannot build an economy based on manufacturing industry so as to create millions suitable jobs, we will not be able to to resolve social problems like substance abuse.
The youth in the townships buy expensive alcohol such as Hennessy, Glenlivet and Platinum, which is ± R500 and right after that they become broke with no money to even go to work or provide for their families.
Few years back we were shocked to discover the “Izikhothane”, which loosely translates to ‘brag it’, is a South African subculture of youths who dress themselves in designer clothes that they can barely afford. They arrive in minivans at public spots and participate in elaborate dance-offs against rival gangs. During these performances, they indulge in burning wads of cash, destroying their clothes and spilling expensive food and alcohol on the streets. Why, you ask? To show off, obviously.
In black communities we have people who are dying with hunger but Izikhothane would spend thousand of Rands in clothes and expensive alcohol just to tear those clothes apart just to show case that money is not a problem. So again the question is are black people hungry because there is no money, jobs or they don’t know how to prioritize ?
Thus young man of the Izikhothane is washing his hand with a very expensive whiskey
A bottle of this kind of alcohol cost close to R500 but him alone buys 3 and spill it down the drain just to show off.You can be the change you wish to be.
Together we can overcome drugs and alcohol abuse.
- Don’t Be Afraid to Say No: Sometimes, our fear of negative reaction from our friends, or others we don’t even know, keeps us from doing what we know is right. Real simple, it may seem like “everyone is doing it,” but they are not. Don’t let someone else make your decisions for you. If someone is pressuring you to do something that’s not right for you, you have the right to say no, the right not to give a reason why, and the right to just walk away.
- Connect With Your Friends and Avoid Negative Peer Pressure: Pay attention to who you are hanging out with. If you are hanging out with a group in which the majority of kids are drinking alcohol or using drugs to get high, you may want to think about making some new friends. You may be headed toward an alcohol and drug problem if you continue to hang around others who routinely drink alcohol, smoke marijuana, abuse prescription drugs or use illegal drugs. You don’t have to go along to get along.
- Make Connections With Your Parents or Other Adults: As you grow up, having people you can rely on, people you can talk to about life, life’s challenges and your decisions about alcohol and drugs is very important. The opportunity to benefit from someone else’s life experiences can help put things in perspective and can be invaluable.
- Enjoy Life and Do What You Love – Don’t Add Alcohol and Drugs: Learn how to enjoy life and the people in your life, without adding alcohol or drugs. Alcohol and drugs can change who you are, limit your potential and complicate your life. Too often, “I’m bored” is just an excuse. Get out and get active in school and community activities such as music, sports, arts or a part-time job. Giving back as a volunteer is a great way to gain perspective on life.
You don’t have to fall a victim to alcohol and drugs abuse not anymore you can make sure you don’t became the statistic.There are 3 comments on Poverty Vs Priorities
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Wow! what an eyes opener, I honestly didn’t know the reason behind being broke, is we as black people tend to prioritize other stuff that are not even important. Thanks for making time to post such issues.
My brother the hard and good work that you do don’t go unnoticed, i believe that your blog could serve as an eye opener to the youth of SA as long as we have people like who are open to youth development programmes such as this. we need more people like you to help address issues that we are facing as young South Africans. Keep it up my brother. Much respect for you and your hustle.