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Tuesday 24 April 2012 Vol. 5 No.2 After reading this copy please pass it on to another reader to show your commitment to saving the environment.

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YOUTH SPEAKING TO POWER

art staff PICS BY: Upst

UPSTART holiday programme

Linda Mafele Grade 11 Mary Waters High School 20 Upstarters were chosen to take part in the Upstart holiday programme during the March/April school holiday. The theme for the week was Hope. We participated in a number of different sessions with different guests but all emphasising the idea of hope. Most of the sessions focused on values, personal identity and the things that motivate and keep us going. One of the most positive outcomes of the holiday programme is that we as Upstarters got to know each other better and therefore have become more comfortable around each other. That prompted everyone to participate freely, getting their opinions heard and asking questions. Read all about the holiday programme on pages 8 and 9.

education dialogue

Page 4

Addo nt Elepha ure Advent

Page 5

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CAptain profiles
M
y name is Neliswa Mjeje. I attend school at Nathaniel Nyaluza High School and I was chosen as the Upstart captain at my school for this year. I am in Grade 10 and I joined Upstart in 2010. I am looking forward to new challenges and experiences as the captain. I enjoy being a leader and leading by example. I would like to thank God for giving me this opportunity of being the captain. Thank you also to SisMpumi and SisZandi for all they have done for me in the few years that Ive been with Upstart.

editorial

Tuesday 24 April 2012 upstartyouth.com

editorial

Upstart on the move! elcome to the second edition of Upstart. Upstart has a brand new look, its more fun and funky. We would like to know what you, Upstart readers, think about it. Write to us and tell us what you think of the new look. Upstart newspaper clubs are doing well and this years focus in the clubs is reading, writing, career guidance and computer training. Although we are determined to get our members reading, this continues to be a challenge among youth. On page 3 of this edition, Wouter Hollerman poses a challenge to all learners out there to read for at least half an hour everyday for a month. We also encourage our readers to rise up to this challenge and we will continue our efforts to get our members reading. During the March/April school holiday, 20 Upstarters were selected to be part of a holiday programme. The theme for this years programme was Hope. Julie Nxadi inspired our Upstarters with her life story, proving that through hard work, perseverance and determination one can make it through difficult times. Thank you to everyone who was involved in making this programme a success. Basil Mills and Jeremy Fogg from NELM, Athambile Masola, Julie Nxadi, Ntsikohlanga Kitsili,

Megan van der Nest and Richard Bowker. Read all about the holiday programme on pages 8 and 9. Once again Upstart is collaborating with fourth year students from the radio section of the Rhodes School of Journalism and the Rhodes Music Radio (RMR), working towards creating a radio show by the youth for the youth. Six Upstarters are trained to produce for the Y.U.N.G. Amplified show with the hope that by the end of the year they will be able to generate content that relates to their lives and communities without the students. Read all about the radio team on page 10 and remember to tune into the Y.U.N.G. Amplified show on RMR 89.7 FM at 10am every Saturday. You can interact with the show live on air by sms, twitter and facebook. Send the team your requests, ideas on issues to discuss and general feedback. To keep in touch with us write to us at PO Box 8027, Grahamstown 6143, call or sms us on 073 040 7802 Visit our website http://upstartyouth. com to read up on the latest Upstart news and give us feedback. Do not forget to visit our facebook page upstart the paper for the youth by youth and follow us on twitter @Upstart_Ght. Happy reading! The Upstart team

Vol. 5 No. 2
Published by the David Rabkin Project for Experiential Journalism Training (Pty) Ltd 40 High Street, Grahamstown 6139. Printed by Paarlcoldset Telephone: 046 6227222 Fax: 046 6227282 Upstart cell no: 073 040 7802 Facebook page: Upstart the paper for youth by youth Email: upstartyouth1@gmail.com Website: www.upstartyouth.com Project Manager: Shireen Badat Project Co-ordinator: Nompumezo Makinana Intern: Zandi Radebe Design: Natalia Carvalho Layout: Natalia Carvalho

upstart y P.O. Bo outh1@gmail .com x 8027 Graham stown 6143

My name is Ziphozihle Goje, other people know me as Yolanda. Im 16 turning 17 this year and in Grade 10 at Nombulelo High School. Im originally from Hamburg near Peddie and I was born and raised there. I like listening to music, reading and writing. I love dancing (although Im not that good). I live with my grandparents and uncle in Extension 6. I attended my lower grades at DD Siwisa Primary School. I have been a member of Upstart since 2010 and this year I was voted the captain of my club.

IMPORTANT CONTACT information FOR CHILDREN

Organisation Childline Child Welfare Commissioner of Childwelfare Department of Justice Department of Social Development Eluxolweni Childrens Shelter FAMSA Grahamstown Foster Parent & Child Forum Hospice Rhodes UniversityPsychology Clinic SAPS Emergency Telephone 08000 55555 046 636 1355 046 622 7303 childwelfareght@telkomsa.net

Email

046 603 4000 046 636 1484 046 622 2537 046 622 2580 046 636 1355 046 622 9661 046 603 8111 10111 046 603 9111 046 603 9111 046622 2215
childprotect@saps.org.za hospiceadmin@telkomsa.net eluxolweni@imaginet.co.za famsa@imaginet.co.za

Grahamstown SAPS
Report Child Abuse Settlers Hospital

Tuesday 24 April 2012 upstartyouth.com

Letters

3
word worth knowing

Dear Upstart I just want to say that it is good to be part of Upstart again. Im glad to be experiencing the fun again. I must say Upstart is the best. I would like to send a big shout out and thank you to all the people who have made a big Dear Upstart I write this letter to just say a few words to the new members of the Upstart family. Upstart is the best place to be because it gives you an opportunity to expand the knowledge you have. To the younger kids, this is a reason for you to join Upstart in the future. This letter is to encourage Dear Upstart I would like to say a big thank you to SisMpumi, SisZee and to Mrs Shireen for all the help they gave me last year. I was happy to work with them and I enjoyed myself. I have seen a change in

difference to Upstart. To Sis Zandi for starting the debate club, to Ms Frans for always guiding us through the way and to everyone who cares about me. Thank you. Vongo Nolubabalo, Grade 10, Nombulelo High School

W2K

Word: stability Type of word: noun Defintion: the state or quality of being stable, especially resistant to change

stability

you and welcome you to the new world of reading, writing and expressing your views. Knowledge will take you from zero to hero; Upstart will make you reach higher places. Thembani Buka, Grade 10, Nombulelo High School

myself. May God bless you for that and give you many more years to live. Ntsikelelo Dlephu, Grade 10, Ntsika High School

ut Ho S
ut out to my family I would like send a sho le, Sinovuyo and and my friends Siphosih school friends and Ziphozihle. Also to my e you all. Lindokuhle all ZCC members, I lov , Nombulelo High Mzongwana, Grade 10 School to my family and I would like to say hello a, all Upstart members friends Kwanele, Masiv who knows me. at Ntsika and everyone ade 10, Ntsika High Ntsikelelo Dlephu, Gr School t want to tell you all HI Upstart readers, I jus mostly the following that I love you all and ily, my teachers, my people: Anathi, my fam o, Poppy, and Ace. friends Lindo, Buhle, Sin e 10, Nombulelo Ziphozihle Goje, Grad High School shout out to my peers I would like to send a Onie, Siphosethu, at school, Babsie, Pizza, I love you all Upstart Anez and Nonilicious. communicate with members and wish to ni Buka, Grade 10, new members. Themba ol Nombulelo High Scho shout out to Upstart I would like to send a gers, my family and members, Upstart mana anda, Awongwa, friends, Sanelisiwe, Ayath unity. Lindokuhle my teachers and comm , Nombulelo High Mzongwana, Grade 10 School

outs!

Dear Upstart readers t the top of the banner on the front page of Tuesday, 21 February, Upstart is written FIX OUR ENGLISH PLZ. Well, whether we like it or not, English still is the most widely spoken language in the world, the language of business and commerce. It has a larger vocabulary than any other language and by far the largest literature. It is also not an easy language to learn: I know this from teaching Chinese students to speak, read and write English for nearly 10 years. While it is true that everyone benefits from getting others to help them fix our English, there is a lot that everyone can do on their own, with a friend or in a small group it is to READ! Read to yourself, read to a friend, read to a couple of friends and take turns. When you read to yourself, read aloud for 15 minutes at a time yes, I know that sounds funny, but when you read aloud your mouth and eyes and ears all learn at the same time. It is the MOST IMPORTANT way to help fix your English and isiXhosa and Afrikaans READ, READ, READ. Read for at least half an hour every day. Read when your teachers are not in class. If you dont know what to read, ask a friend, ask a librarian, and READ! There are lots and lots of interesting, exciting, romantic, magic and scary stories to read. So heres a challenge: who would be willing to read for half an hour (at least, and 15 minutes aloud) EVERY DAY, for ONE WHOLE MONTH. Challenge your friends, tell Upstart who you are challenging, and see who can do it. Write a record of the stories you read. And, at the end of the month, write and tell Upstart readers what you discovered. Go for it enjoy it! An old reader Wouter Holleman.

to my beautiful peeps My shout out goes out zo, Nlolusindiso aka Emihle Tsili, Andiswa Ga Ncwadi, Thando aka Cyndy, Nomvano Debra ts. Nqatyiswa Ncwadi, Mantiya and my paren aluza High School Grade 10, Nathaniel Ny to Xolela Landu, I would like to say halla Bikitsha, Anam Adam, Aviwe Diko, Nombuso , buhle, Sibahle, Zoleka, Andiswa, Ntombozuko anny Jane and Khaya Nomfundo, Boniswa, Gr liswa Mjeje, Grade Heshu. I love you all. Ne High School 10, Nathaniel Nyaluza send my shout out Hi guys, I would like to my brother, cousins, to the following peeps: zo, Nqatysiwa Ncwadi, my friends Andiswa Ga d Asandiswa Ngqoba. Nolusindiso Mpehlo an e 10, Nathaniel Nosifundo Faba, Grad Nyaluza High School my peeps Fabs aka I would like to halla at a Nqa, Andiswa aka Fabulous, Nqatyiswa ak and a beautiful girl Gazation, Neliswa Mjeje Nolusindiso Mpehlo, my mama Nobom Tsili. aluza High School Grade 10, Nathaniel Ny my family and my I would like to say hi to my friends Neliswa best aunt Primrose and di, Nolusindiso Mjeje, Nqatyiswa Ncwa bile and my best Mpehlo, Nangamso Go ba a.k.a. Lala I love friend Asandiswa Ngqo Grade 10, Nathaniel you all. Unathi Nelani, Nyaluza High School.

4
Nolubabalo Ralo Grade 11 Ntsika High School

education
the concentration camps where they were forced to do hard labour without food or water. They were killed in gas chambers, in large numbers. When there was nowhere to bury anymore bodies, a big hole was dug and the dead bodies were put in there. My group decided to repaint the white line and write quotes taken from the prisoners diaries next to it. Over the two weeks we South Africans had an opportunity to present about South Africa. We chose to do a play about Nelson Mandela and the role he played in freeing us from apartheid. I personally did a praise poem thanking him for everything. I was proud of the group of South Africans with me. I would like to thank the Nelson Mandela Museum and the Albany Museum; if it wasnt for them I wouldnt have made my dream come true. Thank you to the municipality, the Executive Mayor for the support they gave me. Thank you to my school principal Mrs Schoeman, Mrs Madinda and Mr Matshoba from the Albany Museum.

Tuesday 24 April 2012 upstartyouth.com

Upstarter go to Germany

y name is Nolubabalo Ralo, a learner at Ntsika High School and I am doing History as one of my subjects. In 2011, I was chosen by the Albany Museum to go to Mthatha in Qunu where Nelson Mandela was born. We attended a youth camp where we learnt about our history of apartheid and how we can follow in Nelson Mandelas footsteps. Out of that youth camp, four of us were chosen to attend an international youth camp in Germany. The international youth camp started on March 25 until April 5. The camp was basically about the history of Ann Frank, a 16 year old girl that died during the Nazi War. During the two weeks we were given tasks to do for two days and then present. I was part of the group that filmed a documentary about the concentration camps. We went to the concentration camps and took pictures and gathered information. We created a film using the pictures and someone narrating our story. In the second week I was part of the remembrance group and I really enjoyed this task. In the group we were taught about the white line. The white line represents the route that the prisoners walked to get to

Finding Ways to Walk Together on Education

Aviwe Menze Grade 11 TEM Mrwetyana High School and Nkcubeko Balani Grade 11 Mary Waters High School group of teachers, school principals, parents, nongovernmental organisations, community members and learners gathered at Stirling High School in East London to have a discussion on the challenges facing education in the Eastern Cape. The Finding Ways to Walk Together on Education dialogues were also hosted in the Free State, Western Cape and Gauteng Provinces. The dialogues focused on (1) identifying the problems; (2) how we got here, how did the problem come about and (3) what can we do about it? Some of the issues that came out in the dialogues include the shortage of teachers, untrained teachers, the lack of resources for schools, lack of ambition in the pupils, less or no community engagement and the teacherparent relationship being unstable.

Pic supplied: Up starter Nolubab alo Ralo (right) and her chaperon with Nozipho M e Zama at the ai adinda rport.

There was a discussion around the everchanging education system and how it affected the learners; change vs. stability. On the second day of the dialogues we were divided into groups and were asked to come up with possible solutions to these challenges. Some of the solutions groups came up with included that the community and the school need to act together to get rid of poverty. Communities should no longer be passive but they must play a greater role in the way that schools function. As Upstart members we had an opportunity to do a little presentation on the Upstart Project. We talked about what we do in the project and our

highlights as members. The project was much-admired as an example of how people are working to empower learners to reach their full potential. Mother-tongue education was also identified as a tool to improve the education system. Some of the participants in the dialogue were people who were members of the liberation movements. It was so sad to hear them say that this is not what they fought for, people are accepting whatever little they are receiving and that the government is not doing anything to significantly change this situation. The Institute for Justice and Reconciliation made it possible for this event to happen. The dialogues in the four provinces act as a build up to the national dialogue that will take place in June. The opinions expressed at these regional dialogues will be presented at the national event. Education should not be about finding jobs, it should make people better citizens.

W2K
Pic supplied: Upstarters Nkcubeko Balani and Aviwe Menze with participants from the education dialogues.

word worth knowing

Word: dialogue Type of word: noun Definition: a conversation between two or more people

dialouge

Tuesday 24 April 2012 upstartyouth.com

enviroment

Addo Elephant Adventure

Twenty Upstarters were chosen to spend a day at the Addo Elephant National Park. The trip was organised by Rhodes University student organisation WildREACH. Anesipho Ntleki Grade 10 Mary Waters High School group of Upstarters joined the WildReach team on a visit to the Addo Elephant Park. Upstarters interested in the trip were required to write an essay about wildlife. It was a Saturday morning when we first drove to the Dung Beetle Lodge where we were treated to breakfast. We talked about the Madagascar Flower that is very popular around the area. We also saw a Golden Orb female spider which has been around for approximately 165 000 years. One thing that is fun about being at Addo Elephant Park is that it consists of seven biomes and has a dense environment. The plants in the reserve make it beautiful. We drove to Addo and on our way there through the national reserve we saw dung beetles. An interesting fact about them is that they lay their eggs in the dung to prevent flies from getting to them. We spent the whole day at the reserve and saw a number of animals including elephants, warthogs and different kinds of birds. The reserve opened in 1931 with only 11 elephants but today it has over 500 elephants. We were also told about the history of Addo. It was the best experience ever. Nobathembu Nxawe Grade 9 Archie Mbolekwa Higher Primary School The trip to Addo Elephant National Park was very interesting. We learnt a lot about the world that we live in. When we first arrived at the park, we were taken to a guest house called Dung beetle Lodge. There we met the owners who took us around their house and their garden. We were told a story about the lady owners father who was sick with asthma and was cured by using the milkwood plant that was there. According to the story, American and European people use the milkwood roots to cure asthma. While in the garden, we learnt about the caster bean flower which has seeds that are poisonous. Animals do not eat that plant because they know that it is poisonous. On our way through the park, we drove through Vukani Road which has prickly pear trees all around. We were told that the prickly pear originally comes from Mexico. From there it was found in India and then in KwaZulu Natal in South Africa through the Indian people about 150 years ago. Indian people from KwaZulu Natal then had regular adventures into the Eastern Cape and that is how we have it here. I really enjoyed the trip and meeting new people and experiencing the world that we live in. Thank you to Upstart and WildReach - conservation through knowledge.

Phakama Ndayi Grade 8 Archie Mbolekwa Higher Primary School Learning about the different kinds of rhino was the most interesting part of the trip for me. The black rhino also known as the hook-lipped rhino has a very mobile upper lip which they use to strip branches clean of leaves. They are not actually black but they are grey in colour. They are solitary animals and leave their mothers when they are grown enough. They mark their territory with piles of dung. The other kind of rhino in Africa is the white rhino. It is a grazer and not a browser and has square lips for eating large amounts of grass. Rhinos recycle nutrients because they eat a lot of grass and produce dung. The flightless dung beetle then eats the dung from the rhinos, elephants and buffalo. Dung beetles are very quick to find fresh dung and either eat it at the spot where it dropped or roll it into a big ball to eat later.

Phaphama Frans Grade 9 Archie Mbolekwa Higher Primary School

hen Addo Elephant National Park was created, there were only 11 elephants. There are over 500 elephants today and the number continues to rise. Elephants use their trunks, tusks and even feet to gather vegetation. At Addo, much of what they eat is thorny. The trunk moves branches into position between their large grinding teeth, so their tongue and lips are protected from the thorns. An elephant spends most of its day and night eating.

Very little of the food passing through an elephant is digested before it comes out. As a result, an elephant needs to eat 150 200kg of grass a day to produce up to 100 kg of grass. Like human children, elephant calves spend many years with their family. Female elephants stay in the family in which they were born but bulls are kicked out when they are 12 14 years old. African people have a tradition of respect for elephants and many believe they have magical powers. The San people of Southern Africa believe that elephants can call rains from the sky.

pstart would like to thank the members of WildReach for inviting them to spend the day at the Addo National Elephant Park.
Pics supplied by: WildREAC H

Upstart plus
endless possibilities
Aviwe Menze Grade 11 TEM Mrwetyana High School We are a group of learners from different schools from the location, brought together by this programme. A programme of which the people who came up with it saw the difficulties that we children from disadvantaged schools go through and decided to do something about it. Upstart has saved me from being bound by the culture of poverty. The culture which holds the belief that educational achievements come about because of luck, which is not the case. Making the choice to join Upstart was the first step to a world of endless possibilities. Highlight of this programme has been meeting with Megan van der Nest. That lady has changed the way I think. She has got me acing my English, speaking new words that my friends dont know. I think she is the best, teaching us logic and ethics. A lot of young people are suffering and it all starts with the mind. Some are less ambitious because they have not been exposed to what is out there and have not been taught to think outside the box. Upstart has taught me to think outside the box. Some young people are caught up in impossible situations. Upstart has exposed me to endless possibilities. Some are very lazy and Upstart has made me see that achievements come through hard work.

Tuesday 24 April 2012 upstartyouth.com

od hopes Go
Nkcubeko Balani Grade 11 Mary Waters High School Upstart Plus members have been meeting on a regular basis to have lessons that help us with our academic work. Us Grade 11s in June and December are expected to write and pass external examinations. This is despite the fact that we, unlike Model C schools, had no teachers for such a long period of time this year. Thanks a lot Department of Education! The lessons dealt with maths, English- both grammar and literature and logic. The lessons on logic were there to help us with the way we think both as writers and learners. They gave us alternative ways of thinking and finding solutions. It also tries to add a sprinkle of argumentative thinking in the way we view, say and interpret things. The Logic-ship is sailed by Rhodes University PhD student Megan van den Nest. We have a lot to

thank her for.

Weve got good hopes for what is ahead and cross our thumbs that we will do well in all our

upcoming examinations. We also hope that the Upstart spirit lives on and that we continue flying the flag up high.

Tuesday 24 April 2012 upstartyouth.com

Upstart plus

usiastic enth
Linda Mafele Grade 11 Mary Waters High School Upstart Plus has been having classes three times a week as a sort of preparation programme for the year and the next. The aim of this programme is to help us with our academic work. Being the pioneers of this programme, we cant tell yet whether it is going to be a long-term project but so far we are enthusiastic as to how it will turn out with our examinations which we hope we will do well in. We had some people willing to help us with our maths, logic and literature. We have taken part in the holiday programme which dealt with everything from our morals and values to hard-core stuff like writing speeches on hope which raised the competition amongst Upstarters. I think the last term went fairly well and we are looking forward to starting this terms programme with new energy.

W2K
Aphiwe Mame Grade 11 Mary Waters High School

word worth knowing

Word: passive Type of word: adjective Definition: receiving or subjected to an action without responding or initiating an action in return

Pass ive

informative
Last terms programme was interesting and informative. I learnt a lot and it has been a very good platform for me. There have been a number of different guests and teachers who visited us and taught us from logic to literature. The Upstart Plus group attended the Israeli Apartheid week at Rhodes University. It was an interesting affair as it was informative. We watched a movie related to this issue called Roadmap to Apartheid. This movie is narrated by Alice Walker (the acclaimed author of The Color Purple). We did Shakespeares poem let me not to the marriage of true minds and we read a short story by Gcina Mhlope called The toilet. It was the first short story written by a South African that I enjoyed. I have learnt a lot things that I didnt know and Im hoping that this term I will be introduced to a lot more new things.

encouragement and support

Xola Joni Grade 11 TEM Mrwetyana High School Being an Upstart Plus member for me is not only about making new friends and going to camps, although that has been fun. As a shy girl, I think being a part of this group has helped me break out of that shell. Usually, I do not talk a lot but now I am able to express myself and make my voice heard loud and clear. I used to be one of those who preferred writing emotions down but Upstart has taught me another way, through poetry and public speaking. To me, being an Upstart Plus member means having a golden key to open all locked doors, a magical key. It means using opportunities, appreciating what you have because some learners are even less fortunate. It means experiencing and learning, giving back to others and learning from them too. It means sharing knowledge and feeding my little brain with as much information as possible. Being part of this group means that I have people who support me, encourage me when I am about to give up. They give me strength and help me overcome my odds. It is like being in a world of success, a world of dreamers, the stars of tomorrow and a world of leaders. Being an Upstart Plus member has taught me to value, to love, appreciate, think, be confident and to be keen. It has proven to me that two minds are better than one, as a group we can do it. We can be whoever we want to be. Let us hope and strive.

Hope

Tuesday 24 April 2012 upstartyouth.com

Tuesday 24 April 2012 upstartyouth.com

hope

HOPE
elitshona liphinde libuyele esihlalweni salo. Sinovuyo Geelbooi, Grade 10, Nombulelo High School My great hope is to laugh as much as I cry and also to try and love someone and have the courage to accept the love in return. So says Maya Angelou who I feel is talking about my very own hopes. As humans when we talk of hope, we talk of having things like fancy cars, huge houses and lots of money. We almost never think of hoping for small important things such as laughing, having fun, caring for animals or even our values. Ziphozihle Goje, Grade 10, Nombulelo High School Hope to me means aiming to achieve something with the help of well-experienced people around you, guiding you. In order to have hope, people need to first find out what their strengths and weaknesses are. This will help determine what it will take for them to achieve and fulfil their hopes. Hope is cultivated when we have a goal in mind. Anathi Madinda, Grade 9 , Khutliso Daniels High School My main point today is about hope as a tool that produces positive, confident and ambitious people. For example, a hopeful kid in a difficult upbringing will think I will get out of this and I will try my best to get out of this situation. Hope is a four letter word, a noun, a verb. When the world says give up, it is hope that whispers try it one more time. Nkcubeko Balani, Grade 11, Mary Waters High School

ell for me, in one of the simplest forms, hope is that small yet significant force that either tugs us out of bed to start a new day or tucks us in at night in the heaviest storms. Without it, were doomed for epic failure. Hope plays a big role in humankind and is for the most part, our only companion. It is the one that gets us through yet another day of tragedy, hoping that tomorrow will be a better day. Linda Mafele, Grade 11, Mary Waters High School Hope to me means a lot because it is what you rely on until such time that your dreams come true. Hope is that belief you hold on to until your dreams come true. There is nothing on earth that can stop me, not even death itself. Ithemba alifi. Alizange laphela emntwini. Linje ngelanga

Sibulele Moyakhe Grade 9 Archie Mbolekwa Higher Primary School From the camp I learnt that team work is important. Even when we were building the tents, it took effort and team work. I learnt to lead by example. At the camp we went through a series of obstacle courses where we had to help each other in our teams. This taught me that friends should be there for each other even in difficult situations. I had fun and I really enjoyed the time we spent together before going to sleep. We were chatting, sharing jokes but girls dont bother to ask because it was boy stuff. We were told scary stories as we sat around the camp fire. I learnt to say thank you. Thank you to my sister for giving me taxi money for the holiday programme and thank you to Bhut Athi for all the information that he gave me about hope. The hugs we shared made me feel welcomed; I felt I was a part of the Upstart family.

Anathi Madinda Grade 9 Khutliso Daniels High School The camp was awesome as we learnt a lot about animals and how to treat them. Basil Mills is the owner of the Donkerbosch Farm that we went to. He has a number of animals on his farm including a crocodile. Ive never seen a crocodile before and that one was huge. It is locked inside so everyone can look at it as many times as they want. We also saw an owl and an eagle nesting in the tree. We saw two different snakes and Basil told us how the snakes communicate with humans. Snakes do not hurt people unless it is protecting itself. If you attack the snake then it will attack back. Did you know that a cobra can spray its poison and blind you even if you are 15 steps away from it? Snakes are very dangerous but people must stop killing them.

Xola Joni Grade 11 TEM Mrwetyana High School I learnt a lot in just a few days. We heard Julie Nxadis story that was touching and moving. All I can say is that I could relate. It felt really good to know that in whatever situation there is always someone who has walked that road but made it through. The theme of the whole programme was hope. It can be just a four letter word but it actually means a lot. I was surprised by how a few seconds can change your life and you can become aware than in life you need to walk fast. Ive made new friends and I know the difference between false and true friends. I know who has my back and who doesnt. I know the meaning of true friendship.

Thandile Lumkwana Grade 9 Khutliso Daniels High School What I loved about the holiday programme was the speech competition. Everyone wrote impressive speeches. When I read my speech to everyone, I felt something within me. I was very nervous but I had hope and I believed in myself that I could do it. All of us were nervous about reading our speeches but SisZandi encouraged us to have hope and believe in ourselves. Some of us won the speech competition but one of the judges told us that win or lose, we are all winners. What I loved the most is that we did not laugh at each other or gossip about how the other read his speech. All in all, the holiday programme was fantastic.

OCUS F

TRUST

ENCE ONFID

Nkcubeko Balani, Grade 11, Mary Waters High School

t the end of the week we had a speech competition based on Hope. My fellow Upstarters stripped hope to the bare and shared what it meant to them. It is said that when the world says give up, it is hope that whispers try it one more time. Remember and appreciate it being there for it is true. If it was absent we would be creatures in despair. Ziphozihles speech on hoping to laugh as much as I cry earned her a spot amongst the winners. So did Aviwe Menzes confident speech which she began with an inspirational poem.

And the third winner...? Well, yours truly. Hope is essential and you will discover that with hope you become ambitious and flamboyant. So dont lose hope for the future looks bright. We were privileged to hear Julie Nxadis life story which shows perseverance and strength. A truly inspirational story. Stories like that should be captured and stored, they are life-changing. I guess one of the reasons people urge us to read books is that many of them are found among the dull-looking corridors of libraries.

FUN

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the Tune in to plified .U.N.G Am Y show every m 10a turday at Sa . RMR 89.7FM on e on Interact liv the ing air by send Team dio Upstart Ra ets and we your sms, t essages. facebook m

radio

Tuesday 24 April 2012 upstartyouth.com

Not as easy as it looks

Thobani Moneli Grade 10 Mary Waters High School First of all let me start by saying it is a big challenge conducting an interview, especially when you are covering big news and school events. The people you are interviewing must see that at all times you know what you are doing and you are in control. It is not as easy as it looks, especially when you are interviewing for radio. The sound quality of your recording must be perfect for the people listening at home. Luckily for us we have a team of students helping us with all those skills. With all the experience that I have gained working on the radio project, I am confident that I can do a

good interview on my own. The person I would like to interview the most is my grandfather. I would like to know about the past and how life was like for him back then. I would also like to know how at that time they dealt with some of the challenges that we are facing today. My first interviewing experience went very well; even the person I was interviewing said that I did a great job. I thought of questions during the interview based on the answers she was giving. That requires you to pay attention to the person when they are talking. Thank you to the radio students as well as the YUNG Amplified show for this opportunity.

and life there. Thobani and I interviewed D Bernard abou r. t her trip to th e Antarctic. Sh studies the Ant e arctic krill that o date my favo lives there. Her work at Pa urite show ha lmer Station in s been the one on Sa the Antarctic will hopefully turday March save the popu 24. The show was grea lation of Adelie penguins livin t for all of us, educational an g there. The pe it was d fun. The show nguins feed on the krill that D was focused on two specia r. Bernard stud l events that U ies. Antarctic is one of the co pstarters had a attended that ldest places in week. Anesiph the world but Dr. Bernard sa o reported ba on the outing id that at the ck end of a study to Addo Natio trip, when they nal Park where they went on say goodbye, a game drive they all jump into the ice co and learnt abou the dung beet ld water half na t le and plant lif ked. The show was e on the reserv The second ev very informat e. listeners ive and the ent we report also responde ed on was the Sci-fest sh d really well. O ow we saw ho of the listeners ne sted by Dr. Kim Bernard. Her sent us an sm talk was abou s saying, The future is in th t the Antarctic e hands of thos e who prepar for it and we e all totally agre e with that.

Roch Buchn er Grade 9 Horskool PJ Olivier

Fun and info

rmative

Radio experience
Anesipho Ntleki Grade 10 Mary Waters High School There are six learners from different schools that were chosen to be part of the Upstart/JMS Radio project. We work together with fourth year Radio Journalism students Nadia Moore, Mike Moodie, Beekay Hlanze and Steven Mina. We have a very busy but fun schedule. At first we thought that being on radio was just about sitting there and talking, but we were wrong. We were taught about the volume, the control buttons and shown around the studio. We were taught how to use the recorders, writing for radio, writing

cues, and interview dos and donts. The best part for us all is actually putting all that knowledge we have been given into practice. The Upstarters involved in the radio project are Ziphozihle Goje, Sinovuyo Geelbooi, Roche Buchner, Thobani Moneli, Anelisa Valela and Anesipho Ntleki. Our aim with this project is to use YUNG Amplified as a platform for us to express ourselves and to change the world, especially our schools. The journalism students would like to see us carry on with this project even if they are not there. Listen to us every Saturday at 10am on RMR 89.7FM.

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terview, Mr. e end of the in very well. At th advice. gave us some Mathurine even lt interview we did I je o cu Ziphozihle G eone After that diffi interview som de 10 Gra l ould be able to ould think I w igh Schoo lenges that I w Nombulelo H owing the chal alone, kn meone takes as radio To interview so nger. have to face. of our training s part rviewing a stra e divided into especially inte wer courage, king them producers we rt would be as iew someone The hardest pa asked to interv doing such as groups and what they are Journalism. ople to stop doing odes School of hone. Some pe we from the Rh as to see how g off their cellp cially switchin is task w hat to do, espe cult The aim of th e being told w iew with a diffi an interv do not lik ey are. would handle unger than th ee was Jude the by someone yo . Our interview e to interview interviewee New Media. rson I would lik atric learners The pe e head of him Mathurine, th last years m e plan was for most is one of t know but th ya. He put We did no he should Phuluso Ngwen gs that in the at my school e wrongs thin nship schools the to do all th ol and all tow rview. During azing scho an inte ap with his am ched on; our not do during Cape on the m cellphone swit Eastern had his interview, he d turning the matric results. ing windows an sipho he was open fficult but Ane very di m fan on. He was iew handled hi ing the interv who was do

Tuesday 24 April 2012 upstartyouth.com

Updates

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Lwando Manyonta
M
Lwando Manyonta 1st year student Fort Hare University y experience as a freshman at the University of Fort Hare so far has not been what I was expecting. I was expecting more from it but it feels like Im still in my own township because everywhere I go I see black faces. It feels more like a black university. I do feel at home but Im too comfortable here. Many students at UFH do not live in res because they registered too late. I was fortunate to find a room at the Z.K. Matthews 2 residence. It is a simple res and I have settled well in it. There are no dining halls here, each students cooks their own meals. Unfortunately, I missed orientation due to my late registration. I wanted more from UFH but it feels as if Im back at home, in my own township. It is important that I keep my focus on my studies because there is a hectic party scene on campus. Every weekend there is an event for students to socialise so they do not go off campus. Wherever you go here, you see a black face. I feel at home yes but its too comfortable. The experience of being independent feels good but I havent gotten used to it yet. I will be fine thats what I keep telling myself. It is an experience being around so many new and different people.

Sanele shingana Nt
Sanele Ntshingana 1st year student Rhodes University

t is such an unusual feeling when you are carrying your luggage, standing in a rather long queue; surrounded by so many other new students accompanied by their parents who are coming from all over the world, waiting to be registered at Eden Grove Building. It is quite exhilarating. I remember sitting in the purple and white Oppie Bus heading to my new home. I sat there in silence, trying to get a sense of what Rhodes held for me. There was no turning back and that gave me goose bumps and filled me with excitement. De Beers House is my new home. The House Committee warmly welcomed me and treated me like royalty. Everyone who lives in De Beers is called a Young Diamond due to the obvious reasons that De Beers House was sponsored by De Beers mining company. Orientation week was quite an experience, waking up at 5:30 am to serenade ladies from one of the female residences in lower campus; going out and attending special events the whole week. Most of those activities intentions were to help us to mingle and make contacts with the other first yearsexchange BBM pins; facebook contacts and most definitely cell phone numbers. I have met people who come from totally different backgrounds-America; Canada; England you name them. Living away from home has given me independence, given me the opportunity for self-introspection and getting to know other people who are different from me and experiencing different cultures. My experience of life at Rhodes has been great so far.

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community engangement
you, the members of Upstart. You asked us about Germany, what we eat, how we celebrate Christmas, if we have snow in winter and so on. We also find out a lot about Africa, what we didnt know before. Some of you were very surprised that we didnt know Maize meal and that we usually eat brown bread with seeds instead of the white bread you normally eat. We also found that we all have similarities as well. For all of us English is the second language. Our mother language is German and like you we only learnt English in school. First we only learnt the grammar, how to count and how to ask questions and then write short sentences. In the last four years of school everyone was able to write long texts, poems, essays, analysis and so on and we also could watch movies in English. But when we came to Africa and we had to speak

Dana and Frederieke Sperke e are Dana and Frederieke Sperke, 20 year old twins from Germany. We finished school last year and decided to volunteer in South Africa for five and a half months before studying. This was an opportunity for us to get new life experiences, learn more about other cultures and traditions and to improve our English. For the first three months we worked at the Outdoor- Education- Centre in Hobbiton on Hogsback. During this time we had the chance to also work in Fairewood, where we met the Upstart project. After speaking with Shireen and Zandi we were invited to volunteer at Upstart for a week and we gladly accepted. During the week with Upstart, we had interesting experiences and had nice chats with some of

English the whole time and it was very difficult at first. When we met you, we found that some of you were too shy to speak with us in English, because they were too scared to make mistakes. When we told you that we also only speak English as our second language and that you can only learn a language when you speak the language and not only write it, many of you suddenly talked a lot and were very open. That was really nice, and something which we will forever keep in our mind!!! What we also enjoyed so much, were the nice games we played together with you. We had a lot of fun! Thank you very much for the nice happy-birthdaysong!!! All in all we really loved to be part of the Upstart project for one week, and maybe we will meet again in May, before we fly back to Germany. Greetings to everyone.

Big Brother Big Sister

The Upstart Big Brother/Big Sister mentorship programme is a project between Upstart and Rhodes University students where Upstarters from Archie Mbolekwa have been paired with Rhodes students residing in two campus residences. The primary aim of this project is to provide Upstarters with academic support and personal development. The project also aims to provide mentorship training to Rhodes students and Upstarters to foster effective and substantive mentorship through the year. Recently, the big brothers and sisters met with their little siblings for the first time and Upstarters share some of the experiences: I feel so excited about having this opportunity to have a big sister. Mandilive is so sweet, kind and reliable. I know she wont let me down. I am hoping to learn a lot from her, we have so much in common like laughing, and smiling and we are both beautiful. I dont have big sister so this is exciting for me. Nosifundo Faltein, Grade 9. Ive always wanted someone to help me with my homework and subjects that I dont understand. I was happy to hear that we would have mentors but nervous about meeting them. My brothers name is Sean and he is doing his third year at university. He showed me that he cares, asked about which subjects I struggle with at school. He said he would help me with my English. Khonaye Mpofana, Grade 9. It was nice to meet my big sister Christi Olivier. She comes from Germany and is doing second year at Rhodes University. She told me all about her family that at home she lives with her mother and sister. She had a dog once with a long body and very short legs, but it died. I also told her about mine, that we are eleven at home and I dont like pets. We took a pen and paper and wrote down our friendship agreement and we each have a copy. We stayed in contact over the holidays because thats what we agreed on. Lumka Mdlungu, Grade 9. My big sister is Tshego. She comes from Pretoria and has studied in Pretoria and KwaZulu Natal before coming to Rhodes. She looks like a loving and caring person. She gave me advice that if I want to be successful at school, I must not listen to what other people are saying. I have to fight for good marks and know where it is Im going. Shes willing to help me and she knows where she is going. Luleka Mdlungu, Grade 9

Rising star
Sibongile Ko li, Grade 10 Ikamvalesizw e Combined Sc hool

perform I get so emotional, it is like giving the audience my life. When I sing I tell a story, pe ople dont understa nd the langua ge but through bo My name is dy movements I make them un Sibongile Koli, derstand. an Recently, I perf opera singer an ormed at the d opening even Upstart membe ing of Commun r. I ity Engagement W started singin eek at Rhodes g opera University. I w music at scho as very nervou ol in 2008. s, I wont lie. Whi My teacher M r Ngeju was le sitting there I was thinking of the one who en the song I was couraged about to perf me to join. I di orm. I though dnt know t to myself that it that I had the was all going potential to be a waste of tim to sing but re e because thos alised it e people were no as I continued t going to like singing me anyway. Th with Mr Ngeju e lady sitting . He next to me asked if told me that I I was ready an had a dI said yes, althou bold yet swee gh my heart w t voice as pounding very and that I coul loudly. d The MC introd sing solo. I just uced me and went I came in front along with it th of the audien inking ce and told mysel that maybe he f that I would had a do it and do it point. right. After m y singing, everyo With my singin ne was impres gI sed by my voice. So have gone to me even said many that I am too youn places, even ou g for the voic t of e that I have. They tr the province. eated me like When I a star and I also felt like a star .

Tuesday 24 April 2012 upstartyouth.com

poetry
The stars of tomorrow
Sinovuyo Geelbooi Grade 10 Nombulelo High School We must work hard in order to have a bright future We must work hard in order to shine brighter than the stars We must work hard in order to be heroes and heroines of our nation We must work hard in order to be well known for what is good and better for the people But all of this cant balance without education, because education is the key to success And if you want to be an achiever you must work hard, respect others, behave well And listen in order to gain something So if we want to be the stars of tomorrow, do whats good for you and your nation We are the stars of tomorrow. Siyamthanda Dyantyie Grade 10 Nombulelo High School

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love

Love me!!!
Anelisa Mzamo Grade 10 Ntsika Secondary School Love me for me When I am thinking of you My heart beats too much Love me for me love For who I am You bring happiness in my soul I can see the birds singing for us I want to be with you everywhere Our love will last forever You will always be in my heart Love me for me!!!

This woman
Sisipho Phongolo Grade 10 Nathaniel Nyaluza High School A loving person with strength in her mind In my mind theres this woman of fear And in my thoughts she speaks with her heart She runs in my mind all the time, look at her shes smiling Shes a woman of hope, woman of passion, power and she keeps blushing The way she smiles makes everything seem okay Shes all that matters in my life She move s so graceful, shes no less than a nightmare Her thoughts are too precious, look at her pretty face The worlds seems old and my heart has gone crazy What should I do about this woman? Every moment Im beside her I want to arch my feelings This is a beautiful moment; Im lost in her thoughts all day Im crazily in love with her People search for love and I have found you Feelings are such good hope, but they will give you stress Lead your way with a bright smile, because a bright smile Will give you the word to tell the one you love Love will prevail forever, who is in my eyes its a flower And this flower is this woman.

Love love love. What is love? Where does it come from? What does it mean? How do I define the word? Many people do not know The meaning of the word They use it to hurt others Feelings are hurt, hearts are broken What do I do from here? Who do I turn to? How many times must I be Heartbroken before I realise what love is? Nobody knows the real meaning of love People take the word for granted They hurt others Its just a four letter word but We think we know the meaning of it But we dont L.O.V.E. Four alphabets With many different meanings When we finally realise what it means to love We realise we have lost the ones we love.

Nombulelo my school
Ziphozihle Goje Grade 10 Nombulelo High School Nombulelo What an obedient school It has all the margin you need It is filled with benevolent teachers Nombulelo should never be uninhabited One can never say they loathe Nombulelo What would be the reason? But I hope it will not be an enormous animosity But you do have a say because At the end, we all have an option But love or hate Nombulelo It is my school and I will always love it.

A poem for Upstart

Lindokuhle Mzongwana Nombulelo High School Thank you! Just a line to thank you You mean a lot to me If everybody thought like you What a nice world this would be. Athenksoi Office Gadra Matric School Sometimes we dont get what we want. But this is a benevolent universe. And once in a while we do. Going home means getting comfortable being who you are, and who your soul really want to be. There is no strain with that. The strain and tension comes, when were not being who our soul wants us to be, and were not some place where our soul doesnt feel at home But the question is do we know what we want? Your body is free, but your heart is in prison. To express what we want. To release your heart, you just need to reverse the process that locked it in. First you need to listen to messages from your heart, and those messages could be the ones you had been ignoring since childhood, that tell you what you want to be. Find the way of expressing, with risky steps to express your heart and feelings to the reality of the world. As you learn to live by heart then every choice you make will become another way of telling your story. And you will know what you really want in life it is the way you were meant to exist. If you stop to listen. youll realize,that you heart had been telling you so all along what you really want in your life.

Affection: poem for my books

Aviwe Menze Grade 11 TEM Mrwetyana High School I write down because words can feel the pain that battles my heart They remove the darkness in my eyes and show light Out of all the propositions in my mind that fight words come up with a way out If its not that they make me feel better after a long time of sobbing The motive of being friends with a book It doesnt judge me by the way I look It doesnt have to find me cool And it doesnt take me for a fool My dear diary the love I have for you I can feel it in my right artery Its like you can feel the pains shot by bows in my heart As if it were a game of archery I share my pains and sorrow And you give me hope for tomorrow Tear drops draw my feelings of sadness In its pages tear drops draw my Feelings of happiness in its ever ready pages How I love my book. This poem is dedicated to my diary and the journey that it has been with me all the way.

WE KNOW DO WHAT WE WANT

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members corner

Tuesday 24 April 2012 upstartyouth.com

Siviwe bhiyane Mago

Pic supplied: Upstarter Siviwe Magobhiyane with his principal Reggie Scheepers and Shoprite manager Lunga Matebese

For the love of books

Lindokuhle Jawa Grade 8 M Vellem Higher Primary School started reading books when I was in Grade 4. I wasnt really into reading but my English teacher encouraged me to. At first I didnt understand what reading meant and I didnt really know how to read but I took books home to read. I love reading because it gives me more knowledge. It takes up most of my time so I dont have much time to do any of the bad stuff out there. Sometimes I struggle because I like watching television and at times will not read for two days.

Reading helps me when Im bored. It helps me understand the world in my own way because some of the stories I read are true and some I can relate to. I would like to say to other children that you dont only have to read at school. Dont read to impress teachers and dont lie and say that you do read at home when you dont. The books Ive read over the years include Brendas story, Thank you Sara, The master key and The best school year. Over the holidays Ive been reading a book called The mating birds. I enjoy reading because reading helps me discover new words like groovy, renaissance and many more that Ive just discovered.

y name is Siviwe Magobhiyane, a Grade 9 learner at Ntaba Maria Primary School. Earlier this year I won the Shoprite Class of 2012 competition. In the essay I was asked to write about my big dream, what I

want to be when I grow up. I wrote about my dream of becoming a farmer. I won R1 100 for school fees for the whole year. I feel very good because this means that my parents do not have to pay school fees

and that they can use the money for other things we need. At school I play rugby as my sport. I live in Extension 6 with my parents. Thanks to my greatness, I won the competition.

iphos S
M

Tata ethu

out teenage and learning ab uhle ok y name is Siph life. ng person and thirteen Tata, Im Im a very lovi ve hool out others. I lo I attend sc I care a lot ab years old and oud very pr Primary school and I m at Ntaba Maria ects favourite subj proud Upstart of that. My School. Im a d Arts de 8 ience an ing Gra are Natural Sc member. Im do a, and I love dram teacher is Mrs and Culture and my class club ing a drama enjoy read I even joined Oosthuizen. I d novels I would like to at school. storybooks an e young teens e kids and pecially to littl encourage mor es the ucation front of cus on their ed sometimes in to ning to to fo ho they want enjoy liste and become w whole class. I laxing. their best d do n Im re be in future an jazz music whe to ng e work is hard g around taki because th I enjoy goin more . ploring find these days pictures and ex things interesting

Anathi Madi
M

y name is Ana thi Madinda,I m boy. My doing Grade 9 hobbies are so at Khutliso ccer, table Daniels High Sc tennis and play hool also know station. At scho n as KD. I have ol the subjects th two homes in at I love the m Grahamstown, ost are mathematics one in Phumla and arts and cu ni and one in Extensio lture. When I grow n 9. At the ho up I want to be me in Phumlani I liv a pilot because e with my gran I want to take dmother ar Dora and my people ound the wor little sister Ase ld and I also w mamhle ta Madinda. At Ex ant to ke Nelson Man tension 9 I liv dela to the Uni e with my Aunt Norit States of Amer ted a an ica other coun Buwa also know d my cousin Zintle tries. Something I lo n as Precious. ve about mys I lived in Port Elizabet elf is that Im respon h before sible. I also lik but my mothe e the fact that I love r sent food and eati me to Graham ng but I do not gain w stown eight. My dislik to look after m es y are rugby, cric ket and grandmother. She picking my no se in public. is very old to live I like soccer, ta on her own. ble-tennis and play statio Im a kind, n. The thing I like the talkative, shy most is Upstart! and respectful

nda

W2K

word worth knowing

biome

Word: biome Type of word: noun Defintion: a complex community characterised by distictive palnt and animal species and mainatained under the climatic conditions of the region

Tuesday 24 April 2012 upstartyouth.com

books

15
What the reader thought ...
1 2 3 4 5 poor good excellent better than a movie you MUST read this book

ok Bo ws vie Re
Title of the book: Buffy the vampire slayer: Seven crows Author: John Vornholt Review by Lindiwe Daweti Grade 9 Nombulelo High School his book is based on the television series Buffy the vampire slayer. The characters in this book are Buffy Summers, Agent Riley Finn, his wife Sam, a secret agent man and an angel. The story takes place in a little town on the border between Arizona and Mexico. Agent Riley Finn and Sam have been working undercover as a married couple to try and find a group of criminals. It turns out that the criminals are a group of international smugglers and they are vampires. People are dying in this little town and some people pretend that they cant see what is happening. It is safer to stay out of this mess. Agent Finn notices that there are more and more crows arriving in this little town. Crows are believed to be a sign of war and death and even the Agent is afraid of what is going to come next. Only one girl can help with this case, Buffy the vampire slayer. She does not work alone, she works with the angel. Angel and Buffy at first do not like to work with each other because things were tense and awkward between them. The story gets interesting from there because there are drugs involved and werewolves and vampires smuggling people across the border. I liked reading this book a lot and I think that many teenagers will enjoy reading it too. People who will enjoy this book will enjoy the Twilight series as well. The book is available at the local library. Title of the book: My Secret Unicorn (Flying High) Author: Linda Chapman Review by Zikhona Faku Grade 9 Nombulelo High School

Title of the book: The mystery of the vanishing treasure Author: Robert Arthur Review by Siphosihle Mzizi Grade 8 Mary Waters High School he main characters in this book are Jupiter Jones, Bob Andrews and Pete Crenshaw, the three investigators. This is a mystery and crime story involving three investigators. This book is part of a series on these investigators. In this story, the three investigators are involved in a mystery crime about the disappearance of the missing jewelled belt. The belt goes missing at the local Peterson Museum. The belt was an ancient Japanese belt; it was a very important part of history that is why it was kept at the museum. The person who stole the belt did it in the dark because the lights went off. The story is very interesting because there is more than one mystery happening at the same time. Alfred Hitchcock gave the investigators a case about a strange group of gnomes that an old woman saw at her home. They think that the woman is crazy until they also see the gnomes when they go to Los Angeles to investigate. The story gets very interesting because it goes back to the theft and how it is solved. The book is very interesting and easy to understand. It teaches us that stealing is not something good. I didnt like the title very much but the book was good. It is available at the library.

he characters in this book are Twilight, Lauren Foster, Mel, Jessica, Max, Tilly and Alice Foster. The story is about the adventures of Lauren and Twilight her beautiful pony. Lauren and Twilight had a secret, when Lauren said the magic words Twilight would turn into a beautiful unicorn with magic powers. This had to be a secret because if people knew their secret, they would take Twilight away. Lauren loved to spend time with Twilight in the stables but her mother Alice Foster did not want her to stay out there until very late. Laurens friend Tilly found out that her father was getting married again and did not like the idea. She did not like her step-sister and they were always fighting. On the day of the wedding Tilly decided to run away. She ran away into Twilights stable and that is where Lauren found her. Lauren tried to speak to her friend and convince her that running away would not help. Her father would be very sad without her and her family wouldnt be the same. They used Twilights magic powers to convince Tilly to go back. When she agreed they used Twilight to take her back to the wedding before anyone noticed that she had disappeared. Lauren made her friend promise to drink a magic potion that would make her forget about seeing a unicorn. This is a very interesting story if you like fairytales. You can get the book at the library or at the bookstore to read more about Lauren and her pony.

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Title: Return to Never Land Author: R.H. Disney Review by Sinovuyo Geelbooi Grade 10 Nombulelo High School

book reviews
Title: Ruby Parker hits the small time Author: Rowan Coleman Review by Anganathi Yanta Grade 8 Mary Waters High School

Tuesday 24 April 2012 upstartyouth.com

Title of the book: Alhaji Author: Ebou Dibba Review by Aviwe Menze Grade 11 TEM Mrwetyana High School The story takes place in Gambia and is set in one of Gambias most beautiful beaches. There is a 16 year old boy Alhaji who narrates the story. He has a horse that he likes very much, much more than anything. He received this horse as a gift from a tourist. Alhaji has to get a lift to school every day because he cannot take his horse to school. One day he was walking along the Old Cape Road in an attempt to get a lift to school when a really smart Mercedes Benz stopped to give him a lift. This was the day he met Aljah Kebba, a man wanted by the police. Kebba wanted to see Alhaji the following day; he wanted to buy his horse. Alhaji refused because he loved his horse very much. No one knew why he wanted to buy this horse so badly. Kebba was a dangerous criminal who had robbed Sierra Leone, Liberia, Congo and South Africa millions of rands. One day coming out of Kebbas hotel, Alhaji met Chief Superintendent Nicholls from Sierra Leone who was looking to catch Kebba. The story reaches its peak when Kebba steals the horse and puts diamonds in it. He was smuggling diamonds to Senegal. Fortunately, Kebba was caught and the horse was returned to Alhaji. What I liked about the book were Alhajis friends. They were a trio. One was very smart but he acted dumb, the other boy just liked girls and considered his friends fools because they were unlikely to be seen with girls. Then there was Alhaji who loved his horse so much that it became his everything. I loved reading this book because it has so much humour in some parts. I found it at the Duna Library in Joza.

his is a story about Wendy, a married mother with two children Jane and Danny. Wendy loved telling her children stories about her going on wondrous adventures in a place called Neverland. In Never Land, she met Peter Pan, a fairy named Tinker Bell and the Lost Boys who never, ever grew up. Never Land was a place full of magic, mermaids and pirates. The children loved hearing these stories from their mother and they spent hours pretending to be fighting pirates like the evil Captain Hook. Jane wished to go to Never Land one day. The war took over the city that Wendy and her family lived in and her husband had to go join the army. There were many air raids in the town, Jane and Danny had to be moved to the countryside where they would be safe from the bombing. They did not want to be separated from their mother. Sometime during one evening, Jane and Danny stood by the window and searched for the star that led to Never Land. During that night Jane was awakened by a creaking sound. When she opened her eyes she couldnt believe what she saw. It was Captain Hook and his gang of rugged pirates. She couldnt believe that the characters from her mothers stories were in her room. She wanted to scream but before she could Mr Smee, one of the pirates had draped a sack over her. Captain Hook had returned from Never Land to come and find Wendy. He wanted to use her to get revenge on Peter Pan. He mistakenly took Jane thinking that it was Wendy. In Never Land, he pushed down into the water so she could be eaten by an octopus that was chasing after him. Peter Pan and Tinker Bell arrived and saved Jane from the octopus. Jane was startled to see the fairies in front of her and convinced herself that she was dreaming. She met the Lost Boys who wanted her to be their new mother but she refused. She was only interested in going home and she told them that she did not believe in fairies. Captain hook managed to fool Jane again by telling her to look for treasure that would have powers to take her home. Luckily for Jane, Peter Pan and Tinker Bell helped her with their fairy magic to fly back home to London. They had helped her believe in fairy tales again and use her imagination. Captain Hook fell through his ship and the octopus was waiting for him patiently in the water. The other pirates swam towards the shore to escape the octopus. They were all scared especially Captain Hook. The books ISBN number is 174150366-3 and it is available from the library.

he main characters in this story are Ruby, Nydia, Anne-Marie and Rubys parents Mr and Mrs Parker. The story is about a girl, Ruby, the same age as me who is having a hard time growing up. She wasnt just a normal girl; she was an actress from the age of six years old. She appeared in the soap opera Kensington Heights which was very popular. Millions of other girls wanted to be just like her. You would think that her life was perfect, but it wasnt. Even though Ruby was an actress, she and her best friend Nydia were not popular at school. They were not as cool as the blonde girl AnneMarie. Ruby had other problems too. At home her parents were getting divorced and breaking up her family; she was in love with a boy she worked with on the soap opera and the actress who played her mother was trying to get her fired. It upset her that her parents were getting divorced and she begged her father not to move out of their home. Her world was upside down. Luckily, Ruby had her friend Nydia to help her through all of this mess. She found out that she was not going to be fired from her soap opera work; her role was being expanded. In one of the scenes she would have to kiss her co-star and crush Justin de Souza. Ruby felt nervous because he was one of the hottest guys around. Nydia suggested that they ask Anne-Marie to help coach Ruby in kissing. AnneMarie agreed and in the end they all become good friends. This entire drama in her life helped Ruby to grow as a person and as an actress. For me, the best part of the book was when Ruby and Justin ran away together. I really enjoyed this book because it talks about some of the things that some girls go through when growing up like having your parents divorcing and breaking up the family.

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