By Mohalenyane Phakela
MASERU — Sesotho Media and Development (SM&D) visited Limkokwing University of Creative Technology (LUCT) to discuss social ills facing youths.
SM&D passes its teachings through films and discussions based on the situation at hand.
On Monday during their visit to LUCT, they played the locally produced movie Tšasa.
Tšasa is all about the problems students face as they get to institutions of higher learning.
It passes different messages such as peer pressure, parenting, dating older partners and the controversy around circumcision.
Addressing students who were present at the film festival, SM&D’s facilitator Teboho Lekompisi said that students and youth of today are faced with social problems.
“As Tšasa relates, we the youth of today engage in dangerous activities due to the influence of people within our vicinity, either being friends or older people making sexual moves on us. Children from poor families were perceived as those that engage in such immorality so as to earn a living,” Lekompisi said.
He said this has changed with time as children from upper social classes are also equally vulnerable.
“It’s either because they have a free flow of money or they are from rural backgrounds and when they reach higher learning institutions get influenced by those from big cities who are used to the “life in the fast lane”.
LUCT students seemed to agree with Lekompisi, stating that they actually encounter such problems that end up destroying their lives.
They said the environment around them plays a very influential role in their day to day lives.
They also said naivety can also make one prone to making dangerous decisions.
Poverty can also push youngsters to date older people so as to get monetary favours in order to be socially accepted.
However, one of the students Khauhelo Raditapole said there is nothing wrong with dating older people.
“I do not think it is bad to date the so-called sugar-mummies or dads, as long as you are not hurting anybody. What matters is one’s happiness.
“I also don’t believe there is peer pressure because everyone has the right to decide what is good for him or her.
“No one forces you to act in any way. It is out of your own free will,” she said.
This raised various arguments between students on what is wrong and right.
The girls would go on about how men are greedy; whenever they see a lady they just see themselves between her legs. On the other hand male students blamed women, who they accused of “advertising” their bodies.
Students were given structured questionnaires about the issues they face and how the movie relates to them.
They reached the conclusion that Tšasa has opened their eyes as they were somehow reluctant to face these issues.
The film festival will continue to take place in various locations around town. Today it will be at Alliance Française and tomorrow it will be at Ster Kinekor cinema.
