A 21-year-old tutor has produced a short film to tackle bullying.
Lilitha Ntsundwani released the eight-minute movie titled Redeemed on YouTube to address the emotional devastation caused by bullying at schools.
The young man from Summer Greens says the movie was inspired by the socio-economic challenges faced by youth at school where there has been a huge increase in violent incidents among learners.
Lilitha helps youth in disadvantaged communities and says tutoring at schools in Du Noon made him realise the issues faced by young people and the need for intervention.
“I’ve observed many organisations in the schools I’ve worked with giving out things yet not really impacting,” he says.
With the help of pupils, he made Redeemed, which will form the basis of an anti-bullying campaign he is working on.
“It’s about a Grade 7 girl who is being bullied by her peers in Du Noon Primary School but through the help of her tutor, she was redeemed,” he explains.
While schools closed early for the winter holidays due to the third wave of Coronavirus, Lilitha has been tutoring pupils to help them cope with the workload, while he also aims to inspire the youth through his poetry writing and performances.
Lilitha says he grew up on the dusty streets of the Eastern Cape and only recently moved to Cape Town.
He says being on his own and feeling isolated made him realise just how lonely bully victims must feel when at times their whole class turns against them.
Before the lockdown he used to tutor full time at Inkwenkwezi High School but now he mostly does private tutoring in the Milnerton area.
nomzamo.yuku@inl.co.za