“We Spoke. Now, Please Listen.”

Young South Africans deliver a powerful message through national creative competitions

The voices of South Africa’s children and teenagers have rung out loud and clear and the country cannot afford to ignore them.

Over the past months, more than 1 100 young people from every province have shared their unfiltered truths in the Hear Me Out and Keready to Ringa creative competitions, part of the national Hold My Hand campaign in support of the National Strategy to Accelerate Action for Children (NSAAC).

Entries poured in as letters, poems, videos, songs, drawings, raps and voice notes. Each one carried the emotional weight of being young in South Africa right now, from dreams for the future, to battles with mental health, to the everyday desire for safety, respect and love without judgement. Of course there we some fun asks too – like a week off school!

Teens shared:

“Don’t just tell us to speak. Make it safe for us to be heard.” (14 years)

“Sometimes I feel like I’m drowning… what if I’m not good enough?” (15 years)

“We are not just moody. We’re struggling.” (14 years)

What they said, and the themes were consistent across both competitions, one being specifically for teenagers and the other for children more broadly:

• Mental health is urgent. Depression, anxiety and trauma featured in almost every entry. Many said it was the first time they’d been asked what they want.
• Respect and real listening matter. Young people are tired of being dismissed, compared or shouted at before they can finish speaking.
• Identity and belonging are key. Teens spoke about exploring who they are and the fear of being rejected for it.
• Digital life is pressure, not escape. Social media often fuels anxiety, bullying and a constant sense of comparison.
• Safety and love are non-negotiable. From violence at home to harshness at school, many described the weight they carry and the difference small acts of care can make.

Other participants wrote:

“I wish you’d see me beyond the grades, beyond the expectations. See the real me, with all my imperfections and flaws.” (18 years)

“My mom writes me little notes every day. That star-shaped one made me feel really special.” (10 years)

The competitions form part of Hold My Hand’s work to amplify young voices in shaping the NSAAC, a high-level national strategy, led by the Presidency, to ensure all children in South Africa grow up with enough love, nutritious food, safety and brainpower to reach their full potential.

“Children live on the edge of both possibility and risk,” says Dr Katlego Selikane Lead for Keready which is part of Hold My Hand focusing on supporting teenagers. “If we’re serious about building a better future, we must start by listening, really listening, to the children and teens who will live that future and provide the necessary parenting, mentoring and adult presence that is necessary and meaningful to each child.”

The NSAAC calls for a whole-of-society approach, with government, civil society, business and communities working together to deliver on ten national priorities, including protecting children from abuse and harmful substances, improving mental health support, and building teenagers’ sense of identity and agency.

Next steps
These messages won’t sit in a file. Hold My Hand and its partners are taking them into policy discussions, community dialogues and programmes that directly respond to what young people have asked for, from safe creative spaces in schools, to trauma-informed training for parents and teachers, to action on heavy drinking and violence in communities.

“The competitions have closed, but the conversation and action is only beginning,” says Lebo Motshegoa, Hold My Hand’s Content Lead. “To do justice for our children and develop and grow the South Africa of the future we must prioritise children. This must be upper most  in our minds and this includes everyone from government, civil society and business to leaders, parents, teachers, older siblings – all care givers so that we live the philosophy that ‘every child is my child’.

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