{"id":80205,"date":"2023-07-13T10:12:26","date_gmt":"2023-07-13T08:12:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/?p=80205"},"modified":"2023-07-13T10:12:26","modified_gmt":"2023-07-13T08:12:26","slug":"empowering-vulnerable-youth-the-transformative-power-of-mentorship-and-community-involvement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/empowering-vulnerable-youth-the-transformative-power-of-mentorship-and-community-involvement\/","title":{"rendered":"Empowering vulnerable youth: The transformative power of mentorship and community involvement"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Sameera Casmod | <a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"mailto:sameerac@radioislam.co.za\">sameerac@radioislam.co.za<\/a><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">12 July 2023 | 00:00 CAT<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">2 min read<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_80206\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-80206\" data-attachment-id=\"80206\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/empowering-vulnerable-youth-the-transformative-power-of-mentorship-and-community-involvement\/youth-today\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Youth-Today.jpg?fit=316%2C200&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"316,200\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo Credit: Youth Today&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Youth-Today.jpg?fit=316%2C200&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-80206\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Youth-Today.jpg?resize=300%2C190&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"190\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Youth-Today.jpg?resize=300%2C190&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Youth-Today.jpg?w=316&amp;ssl=1 316w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-80206\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Photo Credit: Youth Today<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In a compelling interview with Shakir Baker, operational manager of the IHIA Foundation and <\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Executive member of the Baytul Halima Sadiya Child and Youth Care Centre, the crucial role of <\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">mentorship and community involvement in empowering vulnerable youth was highlighted.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Addressing young individuals&#8217; challenges in disadvantaged communities, Baker shed <\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">light on the transformative power of leadership, education, and skill-building opportunities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">&#8220;Despite the many strides made over many years, challenges such as unemployment, poverty, <\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">substance abuse, discrimination, and violence continue to hinder the growth and potential of <\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">vulnerable youth,&#8221; stated Baker.&#8221; One of the biggest obstacles they face is peer pressure, pushing them to fit into society. In such instances, they need an extra guiding hand in life.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">When asked about the impact of mentorship, Baker emphasised, &#8220;Mentorship plays a critical role in guiding and empowering young people. A mentor provides companionship and guidance, leading them towards a positive path. It is essential to guide them out of negativity and help them become valuable contributors to society.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Baker further highlighted the strategies required to empower youth through education and skill-<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">building. &#8220;Skills development programs are vital in enhancing the capabilities of young individuals. We must provide programs that not only develop their minds but also educate and empower them to become effective contributors. By teaching them the necessary skills and guiding them, we can equip them to face the challenges of the world.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Concerning the importance of community involvement, Baker stated, &#8220;Muslim communities can <\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">support vulnerable youth by identifying individuals in need and offering guidance and mentorship. Those with resources can contribute to skill development programs that provide alternatives to negative influences. It is through community involvement that we can strengthen and enhance our communities by empowering young people.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The interview shed light on success stories, exemplifying the transformative impact of empowering vulnerable youth. One such inspiring tale was shared, showcasing how a young individual from a disadvantaged background, mentored and guided by a compassionate figure, rose above hardships and became a successful contributor to economic development and media.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The interview highlighted the significance of mentorship, education, and community <\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">involvement in empowering vulnerable youth. Through these endeavours, individuals, and organisations strive to create a positive impact, helping young people overcome adversity and thrive as valuable members of society.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">As the community continues to prioritise the empowerment of vulnerable youth, the hope for a brighter future resonates with gratitude to those who mentor, guide and support these individuals along their journey to success.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Listen to the full interview on Your World Today with Yusuf Moosagie <a href=\"https:\/\/on.soundcloud.com\/XQCb3\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sameera Casmod | sameerac@radioislam.co.za 12 July 2023 | 00:00 CAT 2 min read In a compelling interview with Shakir Baker, operational manager of the IHIA Foundation and Executive member of the Baytul Halima Sadiya Child and Youth Care Centre, the crucial role of mentorship and community involvement in empowering vulnerable youth was highlighted. Addressing young [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":80206,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[29,28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-80205","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community-news","category-latest-news"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Youth-Today.jpg?fit=316%2C200&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pc0QIf-kRD","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-30 11:05:38","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80205","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=80205"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80205\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/80206"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=80205"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=80205"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=80205"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}