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If you’ve ever sat in the front seat of a South African taxi, you probably didn’t plan on becoming a part-time cashier with zero training and a deep fear of being yelled at by strangers. Welcome to taxi accounting – the informal financial system that makes a stokvel treasurer's job look like a holiday.

Money. It’s never really yours, is it? By the time your salary hits your account, it already has an array of fingerprints on it. So how do you take back control of your finances when it feels like they have become a communal fund?

It’s very important to check in on others, but what happens when their answer doesn’t match their reality? Leadership is learning to read between the lines and moving into tough conversations, shared Tshepo Sithole at a recent youth leadership training. 

In a world that can feel like it’s spiralling out of control, Hopeville reminds us that our actions still matter and small steps of bravery can make a real difference.

Despite many of us becoming more open to the idea of sharing our personal experiences, there’s still a stigma surrounding mental health. One way we continue to perpetuate the stigma around mental health is through how we speak about those who have mental health  conditions.

Steven Wetton from Give a Child a Family,  Oak Foundation's safeguarding partner in Southern Africa, recently ran a safeguarding session at Heartlines to help us continue ensuring the safety and well-being of the people we work with.