UKZN academic focuses on lives, livelihoods of township’s young people

Sinethemba Sidloyi, a sociology lecturer at UKZN’s College of Humanities, says growing up in Ngangelizwe Township in Mthatha, Eastern Cape has shaped her interests in many ways.

‘I watched young people grow up with the majority of the boys quitting primary school to join gangs and with girls dropping out due to pregnancies among other factors,’ she said. This led to her academic career and community engagement focusing on this and the lives and livelihoods of young people in the township context.

‘I strongly believe that some young people, especially in the township context, are in the positions they are in (crime, drugs, etc.) because of the lack of mentorship as well as the lack of positive role models. With the knowledge that in the same way, I looked at the women before me in order to find my path in life, other young people are now looking at me.’

‘I try as much as possible to live a positive life. I live my life with an understanding that it is not just my life but also a message of either hope or destruction to those that come after me,’ said Sidloyi.

In light of this, she shared a glimpse into her life that subsequently led to a flourishing career in academia, ‘My mother had me at the tender age of 16. Because of this, my grandmother had to take on the motherhood role. Growing up in an environment that was characterised by crime, alcohol and drug abuse, violence and poverty, I experienced some of these challenges first hand.’

‘My mother was extremely immersed into alcohol abuse and because of this, we were never able to forge an emotional relationship. I never knew my father. At the age of 9, I was raped, and I believe it is this incident that led my grandmother into transferring me to a Catholic boarding school.’

‘I spent years at boarding school trying to figure out why people do the things they do. I remember telling my grandmother one day that I want to join a career that would help me understand why and how people make the decisions they make. I did not know the name of that career but I knew that I wanted to be able to understand what factors shape human action/ choices.’

Sidloyi wanted to become a psychologist. However, upon entering university, she was exposed to sociology modules and was challenged by her sociology lecturer on the perception of human action.

‘All the issues that I had looked at as behavioural problems that needed a psychologist/ therapist to be dealt with now sounded like social issues that were linked to not just the individual but the entire society. I then started looking at my mother and her alcoholism as a product of her socioeconomic background.’

Her current research helps shed some light on some of these issues and forms the bulk of her PhD, with Sidloyi believing that the lives and livelihoods of young people are linked to the socioeconomic context within which these are devised. She has also done research on the survival strategies of elderly women in female-headed households (Ngangelizwe, Mthatha).

Of her research findings, she said, ‘Grandmothers, especially among black families in townships, continue to play a vital role in the upbringing of their grandchildren. Their state pension/ grant continues to become a stable source of income for many households and so it forms an important part of the livelihoods of some young people.’

In her spare time, Sidloyi also speaks to young women, sharing her lived experiences with them. ‘This is one way that they may understand that in life, we can either choose to use challenges as a stepping stone to a better future or as an excuse to remain where we are.’

She frequently uses social networks to empower, motivate and provide advice to young people particularly women. ‘Through social media, one is able to reach a large audience in a short space of time. I use social media as a platform to share inspiring messages that motivate young people to not only dream but also embrace the hard work that is put into cultivating a dream.’

Sidloyi is also part of a Youth Church Group in which young adults meet to discuss issues that young people are faced with. ‘My goal is to create many of these opportunities for young people specifically to engage, discuss and debate some of the major issues that impact their lives, livelihoods and lifestyle choice. I believe in such forums where we can discuss issues openly and brainstorm positive ways of dealing with some major challenges and social pressures that young people and women are faced with.’

Sidloyi was also part of various discussion forums where issues affecting women and young people were discussed such as the Department of Arts & Culture in partnership with Msunduzi Museum (2016) event and the upcoming Imbokodo Forum.

Source UKZN