Noletu Ndude, speaking on the program Crossing The Line, discussed the critical importance of maintaining an open dialogue between parents and their children. Her own experience growing up in the 1980s shaped her views on this subject.
In childhood, Noletu's father was imprisoned for opposing apartheid, while her mother was an activist and leader of the United Democratic Front (UDF), often absent due to meetings or the need to hide or be incarcerated. Consequently, a whole community raised her five children.
After moving from Gugulethu to the suburbs, Ndude noticed a sharp difference in communication approaches. While in her home neighborhoods, parents avoided conversations about sex life or dating, in the suburbs, neighbors openly discussed things like the need to buy sanitary pads, which was unacceptable in her former area.
This observation prompted her to establish the WeMattah foundation. The foundation aims to promote open dialogue between parents and children, as well as assist in understanding the physical changes that occur in a person's body at different developmental stages—from infancy to adulthood.
Ndude noted that conversations about developmental stages are necessary for young Black and Coloured children in such communities, and that this dialogue must happen with parents.
She acknowledges the complexities of family life when parents may be absent from early morning until late evening, leaving children without valuable time for serious conversations. In such cases, she believes schools, churches, or the government should take the initiative to conduct these discussions. She needs more programs and improved life skills education in schools to help parents communicate with their children.
Ndude also stressed that raising children today is very different from the 1970s or 1980s. Today, children are largely shaped by social media and television. If parents do not have these conversations, a stranger via social media, WhatsApp, or Facebook might converse with the child, exposing them to unwanted information.
Ndude's foundation collaborates with schools and community organizations to encourage more active interaction between parents and children.
