A ray of hope for the youth of SA from India

Rays of sun stream through the window of Delhi eatery Just Parathas, falling on Puneeta Roy almost in a halo of acknowledgement of the light she's spreading through her work with youth in India and South Africa.

Roy is a founding trustee of Delhi-based Tehelka Foundation, a non-profit organisation that aims to bring about social justice and equity by grooming youth as agents of social change.

In India, the organisation has a number of programmes directed at encouraging youngsters from different socio-economic backgrounds to come together and share a common vision.

The organisation uses theatre, creative visualisation, meditation and interactive discussions to break barriers of class and language with the groups.

It was her interest in theatre and cosmic healing that led Roy to establishing the workshops, which tackle issues such as child mortality, drugs, environment and universal human rights.

Her husband, Sanjoy, whose company Teamwork Production organises the Shared History Festival - a festival that celebrates culture, music, literature, art and film between India and SA - suggested to her that local youth would benefit from the workshops, paving the way for Roy to hold the first series of workshops in the country three years ago.

"Coming to SA, on the surface it's a First-World country but when you delve deeper, its been stripped, raped and just left aside after apartheid.

"Through our workshops, we aim to demystify spirituality and visualise a world where we all share the same belief in justice and equity."

Roy said when she visited Cape Point, she was struck by the beauty of the place, yet at the same time reflected on the state of the country's youth.

"I realised that I had to do my bit to replenish and restore this country and decided to work with the youth."

She said last year's workshops, which were themed Awaken the Young Citizen, were held in Chatsworth, Durban, Mannenburg in Cape Town and Soweto in Johannesburg.

"South African youth are facing several challenges at present - those of unemployment, inequity, substance abuse and HIV/Aids among others.

"Through our experiences with Indian youth, we felt equipped to deal with these issues and contribute in a positive way."

Roy said their focus on self- empowerment has "never failed to galvanise young people into developing a sense of ownership for their community, growing into agents of change".

She said the experience of holding the three workshops, facilitated by local non-government organisations in the different provinces, revealed "much about the youth and their sense of worth".

This year, Roy's workshops will focus on the theme Being Human in an effort to rediscover the core essence and qualities necessary to sustain the world for future generations.

"I want to create a buzz among the young as to who a human being truly is, what would be the parameters of success and what are the ingredients for a life full of joy and peace, among others."

She says as the workshops evolve, they will touch on issues of universal human rights of life, liberty and livelihood.

The workshops will be held in Phoenix, Merebank and Johannesburg from September 20 to October 1.

• Roy will conduct a workshop at the Wellbeing Experience today at the Emmarentia Botantical Garden in Johannesburg at 8.30am. The experience will also focus on Ayurveda and yoga. There will also be massages, guided meditations and food stalls. Tickets R50 at Computicket.