Bullying, drug and alcohol abuse, teenage pregnancies, gender-based violence, gangsterism, peer pressure, low self esteem and a sense of hopelessness – these are some of the issues facing children daily at many South African schools.
In the Eastern Cape there are teams of adults who love young people and God and who are trained to help children – and teachers – deal with these crisis issues and to give them hope and tools to make good decisions.
I spoke to Mark Beale who heads up a team of 17 such people who regularly visit 350 “hotspot” schools in the western and eastern regions of the province under the auspices of the Eastern Cape Education Department’s Moral Regeneration Outreach to Schools programme. Another team is responsible for the southern and northern regions of the province.
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Mark, who was a prominent South African professional wrestler for 23 years, believes his role in the outreach is the fulfilment of a prophetic word that was given to him nearly 40 years ago when he was a youth leader at a Port Elizabeth church.
He said that as a wrestler he used to wonder how he could give back to society through his sport. When he learned that bullying was a big problem at schools he decided to visit Port Elizabeth schools with fellow wrestling stars to talk about bullying.
He started a self-funded anti-bullying campaign in 2015 and “it just took off”. Then about two years ago the Head of Department of the Eastern Cape Education Department, Sharon Maasdorp, had the vision of reviving the government’s Moral Regeneration Programme to bring hope and moral guidance to embattled schools. “She reached out to some people for interviews and I was one of them,” said Mark.
He said that the 17 members of his school-outreach team include pastors and Christian marketplace leaders. Each member is required to visit at least two schools a week to conduct meetings or run workshops addressing specific problems identified by school principals, from the list of crisis issues,.
“When we started we tried to make appointments with principals. But now schools are contacting us,” said Mark.
“We were at a school last week in Makhanda (Grahamstown) and the principal said: ‘Can you please put up a tent outside? I want you guys to be here permanently. I need you.’
“Another school we went to, while we were busy talking to the kids, there were taxis going around the school because they sell liquor at break time,” he said.
Mark said they reach out to children from Grade R (pre-school) to Grade 12. While they prioritise the 350 “hotspot” schools, they do accept invitations from any school seeking their help.
Schools on their priority list include remote farm schools where “some of the children don’t feel they have a future. They just feel like: ‘Why must I study?
“We also get into very tragic areas because you have kids committing suicide. So many kids are committing suicides, you know. Then we get called to schools.”
Another widespread problem at the schools they visit is teachers who are so traumatised by learners that they are often absent.
Mark said they encourage learners that they have a hope and a future, irrespective of their background or circumstances, provided they make the right decisions during the few critical years they have to make the most of what school offers. “We teach our children that there are consequences for good and bad decisions, and whatever choice we make we must be prepared for the consequences.” He said he also counsels learners to build their lives on the sure foundation of Jesus Christ.
He said occult activity is widespread at schools and they have recruited a pastor who specialises in this area of ministry to help when needed.
They also have a vision to provide opportunities for certain children to visit a Christian clinical psychologist to deal with anger issues which are behind their bullying problem. These visits would be with parental permission.
Last year they organised a “pens-down” Gospel concert at Hobie Beach in Gqeberha (PE) at short notice. This year they have more time to prepare and are planning to go bigger and better with the event on October 4. They have already booked some top Gospel artists.
Word of the Eastern Cape’s Moral Regeneration Outreach to Schools programme has spread beyond the province.” We’ve recently been to Gauteng, to two schools which asked us to come and speak on the moral regeneration movement in our schools. So we trust the Lord that this movement is going to eventually go national.”
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