Abstract:
The authors’ recent case study work in Pretoria Central as part of the international research
project ‘Youth at the margins’ (YOMA) constitutes the focus of this article. From this vantage
point, the authors offer a presentation of their research findings in order to ultimately answer
the question ‘to what extent the faith-based organisations (FBOs) are making a difference in
the lives of young people at the margins in this particular case study locality (Pretoria Central)’.
The article begins by contextualising the lives of young people in Pretoria Central against the
backdrop of far-reaching socio-economic, demographic and religious change in the area since
the end of the apartheid era. After explaining the case study methodology and offering a brief
profile of the research participants, the discussion then proceeds with a more detailed
discussion of distinctive aspects of the case study findings. In the conclusion, the authors
argue that the answer to the article’s guiding question seems to be a negative one when the
reality of young people’s seemingly permanent structural exclusion is considered. At the same
time, this verdict does not withhold them to also conclude with appreciative remarks about the
role that churches and FBOs of the non-governmental organisation (NGO) type are playing
with respect to marginalised young people in Pretoria Central.
