Youth unemployment

WhatsApp weekly update 29 Sep–3 Oct 2025

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A consistent laser focus on the 62% youth unemployment rate in South Africa is the only thing that will solve this challenge: VYLTP is doing its little bit and if 1000 similar groups across the country do the same, we will give significant hope to young people in South Africa, and to the next generation. Thank you to all who are helping us to do this …we can overcome this Goliath.

  1. This week, one of our young women participants (Afikile) informed us that she got a job at an Indian curry restaurant in Hermanus. We rejoice with her! She made it clear that she is still part of us and turned up on Friday morning.
  2. A small action we did this week was to buy a “kota” from a sister of one of our young people for our Friday lunch. The more everyone support micro-efforts like this, the more we can break through the challenges we face. A “kota” is a unique South African township meal.
  3. David Daniels – a VYLTP leadership team member – is currently at Taizé. and was able to connect with Inathi there. Today he meets with Brother Matthew, the prior of Taizé. Next Sunday, Cleo and Masixole leaves for Taizé. Please keep them in your prayers. Thank you to those who are supporting them, especially Nigel!
  4. We met with someone at the Marine Hotel connected to the opening of the new cliff path in Hermanus. Some of the drummers will be part of that opening ceremony this coming Friday.
  5. Also on this coming Friday (but earlier in the day) a wonderful group of 27 American friends connected to those who hosted us in the USA last year, will be visiting us in Zwelihle.
  6. Bridget Fleming, an excellent geography educator who wants to assist the young people to at least get their Matric, will bring a group of educators from the UK to us on Monday, 27 October. Of course we have another session with Pro Musica and others on 25 October at the Grobbelaar hall. ⁠ October is turning out to be a very busy month!
  7. I started briefing Imtiaz Sooliman of Gift of the Givers this week about the drum-making project. We will meet in Cape Town soon. He is part of the News24 On the Record summit in Cape Town from 19–20 March, 2026, where international and local speakers will share their views on how to solve our unemployment crisis.

Thank you again for your supporting the Volmoed Youth Drumming project!

Edwin Arrison
WhatsApp: +27 847351835

WhatsApp weekly update 15–19 September 2025

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Dear friends

September and October are normally two difficult months in terms of cashflow. Thank you to those who have come forward to ease this burden, especially the Groote Kerk who ordered 20 of our drums. Please continue to support us either through Global Giving or through the 10/10/10 campaign. Easy, secure payment is also possible via PayPal.

Thank you again for your supporting the Volmoed Youth Drumming project!

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WhatsApp weekly update 8–12 September 2025

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Thanks to everyone who supports this important work! 62% young unemployed people in South Africa represents 2.1 million young adults. It is important to move beyond the statistics to the names and faces, stories, hopes and dreams of these young adults … and do something about it. South Africa cannot move forward with such a high youth unemployment rate. “Nature abhors a vacuum” and we should not be surprised at high crime levels or substance abuse or depression if we do not tackle this crisis head-on.

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Reducing South African youth unemployment

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How can the church help?

Given the immensity and complexity of the crisis, the issue of youth unemployment should, at the very least, be on the prayer list of each South African church congregation. We bring unique gifts and graces to every challenge, and prayer is one of those unique graces we can and should bring to this crisis, acknowledging that it will require more than human ability to solve it.

If we begin to pray about it, we give it a certain prominence because we have spoken about it to God, and we will then have no choice but to act on it.

Prayer is also one of the factors that give the church confidence to deal with multiple and often converging crises. We gain our confidence from a relationship with someone who says “I will be with you always, until the end of time” and from Scriptures that proclaim that “for human beings it may be impossible, but for God it is possible”. When it becomes clear that other agencies are not going to – or simply cannot – deal with this and other crises any time soon, the Church has no choice but to stand in the breach as young people are part of the special concern of the church and also part of the marginalized and the voiceless or the unheard.

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