Johannesburg - Mzwethemba Dlutu, fondly known as Shakes, is determined to make a mark as a motivational speaker and facilitator with his youth development programmes that have assisted in creating change in the lives of many young people.
With the controversial cases of bullying that have led to victims committing suicide, Shakes has been at the forefront of equipping learners about bullying in his multiple anti-bullying campaigns.
Shakes also reveal how bullying in schools has been a temperamental subject in recent years, and reports have revealed that this phenomenon has gained momentum in South African schools in recent times.
The motivational speaker has had numerous morale-boosting programmes with several SA companies and has been a driving force behind touching on subjects that affect youth.
In his conversation with The Star, Shakes opens up about his mission to help with bullying and mental health issues and encourage people to tap into their best versions.
"I’ve got the youth development solutions that include schools, universities, and colleges, and basically what happens around there is leadership camps for high schools and study skills workshops because what happens with public education keep gets taught what to study but not limited how to. And as a result, a lot of them end up shying away from the subjects that they consider difficult, like mathematics. We have these campaigns to help us," said Shakes.
He further spoke about anti-bullying campaigns that he has done in various schools upon invitation.
"We start running these campaigns, and I have done a lot of them in most schools because it seems to be an issue where kids literally get bullied for their lunches to the extent that where it results in a child dying. Obviously, the consequences of this are children having mental health issues because they are depressed at school, they either withdraw from families or withdraw academically, and their academic performance is impacted," said Shakes.
Asked about the response from parents and schools that he has graced, he said the response has been phenomenal.
His campaigns were hailed by most parents, revealing that they have helped most children speak up to their parents, which has deepened their relationship with their children.
He is hoping that the issue of mental health gets taken seriously because "it forms part of Life orientation in schools because I feel like children are there more than 8 hours a day, and it's a long time if you include extramural activities and sports."
The Star