The Upstart project is many things rolled into one. Most people probably associate it with a newspaper that is produced by the school pupils of Grahamstown, but it is so much more than that. Starting out as a collaboration between Grocott’s Mail and the Rhodes School of Journalism, it has grown beyond the boundaries of promoting journalism to become a community engagement project that addresses a wide spectrum of needs amongst a range of young people. And schools are clamouring to be part of it.

Although mostly aimed at high schools, two higher primary schools begged the project team on an ongoing basis to be included, until eventually they conceded. Such is the value that some young people attach to the project that one young man reportedly told his mother he was not moving to Alice, because “There’s no Upstart there”.?

Shireen Badat, co-ordinator of the project, makes it clear that although the focus is on reading and writing, this is not an educational project in the sense of trying to do what the schools ought to be doing. Rather, it is an enrichment exercise that broadens the experience of young people and equips them with essential life skills that will aid them in their further education and careers.

Badat notes that the strict Code of Conduct they have put in place for participants has resulted in a much more disciplined and committed approach over time. Rod Amner, lecturer in Journalism at Rhodes, goes even further. He feels the project is counter-hegemonic and gives ordinary voiceless young people the opportunity to speak and write about their circumstances and to challenge the dominant power relations in today’s society.

Rhodes University has been involved with this project in a number of ways. Students from the Rhodes Journalism Department assist with Upstart as part of their Service Learning Component, which means their work on the project is part of the curriculum, is assessed and is credit-bearing. However, many other Departments are also involved, e.g. the Pharmacy Department and the Rhodes Psychology Dept through the Counselling Centre, as well as student volunteers under the Centre for Social Development and student societies such as SHARC (Student HIV/Aids Resistance Campaign).

The student volunteers meet on a weekly basis with the different Upstart groups and facilitate skills development or start reading clubs. SHARC ran a three-day camp for Upstart participants (for many of them the first outing of this kind) and trained them as HIV/AIDS peer counsellors. Various academics assist in their personal capacity within their field of expertise or interest.

Badat reckons the project has definitely helped the participants to be more confident about joining other initiatives and has broken down the barrier between the youth of Grahamstown and the University. As part of their exposure to a range of experiences, the participants have attended concerts at the International Library of African Music and lectures at Eden Grove, done visits to the Albany Museum and been on outings to Kwantu Game Reserve.

The Upstart project is unique in South Africa, possibly even globally. Research has shown that no other publication is written and produced by young people themselves, who also identify and decide what they want to write about. There are many other newspapers aimed at the youth, but those are written for them and about them.

The Upstart approach is to meet on a weekly basis with club members at schools or in clusters of schools. Twelve schools are participating, with about 15 members per school in Grades 8 to 10. Books, magazine articles, workshops and outings are used to generate discussion and debate and the pupils then write about their experiences.The writing can be in the form of poetry, letters, prose, interviews or even book reviews, and they write in the language of their choice. After every edition of the newspaper, all the clubs get together again to discuss the outcome of each edition.

These gatherings have the added benefit of getting young people from different backgrounds, areas and schools to mix. It is clear that skills way beyond just writing have been developed; many of them have become computer literate, have their own email addresses and know their way around the Internet. Participants in the project have also been assisted to join libraries and encouraged to read. Some of the schools have used the Upstart newspaper as a tool in the classroom or for their community outreach projects.

The Upstart Youth Project has exceeded expectations in every way, except one – funding. Although local businesses have been supportive, funds have only allowed for five editions of Upstart this year and the numbers of clubs have to be restricted. Badat has worked entirely on a voluntary basis as the co-ordinator and the MAPP SETA’s funding for the intern, Nompumezo Makinana, has also come to an end. What a shame for a project that has patently done so much to build the confidence of young people and expand their world.

Back copies of Upstart can be viewed on the Grocotts Mail website at www.grocotts.co.za/blogs/upstart

Story by Cathy Gush