Dean Ramjoomia, founder and director of Nehemiah Call Initiative
Destabilisation or disruption of schooling by pupils, disregard and resisting authority and rules, threats and assault against teachers and staff, physical disabilities, medical disabilities, ill health and chronic illnesses, substance use on school premises and during school hours, sexual assault and gender-based violence, bullying, vandalism and damage to property, drug dealing, hitch-hiking, gangsterism and gang violence, road safety, common trauma suffered by pupils at home and community.
Poverty, unemployed parents or guardians, poor house and negative home environment not conducive for learning, over crowded households, poor parenting or no parental care and support, illiterate parents, abandonment, neglect, physical, emotional abuse assault by siblings and peers, negative and destructive societal environment, overwhelming and common abuse of alcohol and other illegal substances, addictive behaviour of parents and siblings.
Who are amongst them?
Some are the best academic achieving students across all subjects, remarkable performing athletics and outstanding sport talented scholars, great aspiring talented performing artists in drama, music and dance, environmentalists and scientists had risen from amongst the heaps of Cape Flats and squatter camps.
What's often remarkable is that in such daily lived experiences of just so many of our children and pupils, some indeed rise far above and beyond what the society in which they lived and grew up determined. Yet they rise to achieve which often surprises even them.
Resilience and determination got them through and against all odds they achieved. Many studies and research have been done to find out how this is possible.
Well history had proven it and so did some of our children; the depth of human endeavour and what can be achieved cannot be measured. And to these our kids that rise I say come back to give hope to those coming after you.
Yes scared, bruised and battered yet they are but indeed the ones who Rise.