The advent of democracy in 1994 promised South Africans a ‘better life for all’ and the so-called ‘born free’ generation hoped for better education and job opportunities than those of their parents and grandparents, who had lived under apartheid. In focus group discussions, township youth living in a small university town in the country’s poorest Eastern Cape Province had the opportunity to express what hopes they had for their future in the post-Covid-19 era and confirmed the important role of hope in their lives as a useful tool that motivated them to aspire to fulfil their dreams. In response to select items from the Snyder hope scales, youth discussed their life goals, optimism, agency, and pathway thinking to realise their dreams. Youth recognised hope could be both harmful as well as useful. The discussions provided an opportunity for youth to share and compare with others their experiences of disappointment and failure, of times when they had felt hopeless, with the worst cases of hopelessness resulting in alcohol and substance abuse, which was reportedly widespread among township youth. Family, neighbours and significant others provided support and advice that assisted youth to recover from hopelessness, and to find new direction in life. Results from this qualitative study point to the importance of providing township youth with a platform to share their experiences of hopelessness. Policy and practical interventions are needed to support and guide hopeless youth to regain their mental health, well-being, and hope for the future.

1994年民主的到来向南非人民承诺“让所有人过上更好的生活”，所谓“生而自由”的一代人希望比生活在种族隔离制度下的父母和祖父母获得更好的教育和工作机会。在焦点小组讨论中，生活在该国最贫困的东开普省一个大学城的乡镇青年有机会表达了他们对后Covid-19时代的未来的希望，并证实了希望在他们生活中的重要作用作为激励他们渴望实现梦想的有用工具。针对斯奈德希望量表中的精选项目，青少年讨论了他们的人生目标、乐观态度、能动性和实现梦想的路径思维。年轻人认识到希望既可能有害，也可能有用。这些讨论为年轻人提供了一个机会，让他们分享和与其他人比较他们的失望和失败经历，以及他们感到绝望的时刻，最糟糕的绝望情况导致酗酒和滥用药物，据报道，这种情况在乡镇青年中很普遍。家人、邻居和重要的其他人提供了支持和建议，帮助青少年从绝望中恢复过来，并找到生活的新方向。这项定性研究的结果表明，为乡镇青年提供一个分享绝望经历的平台非常重要。需要政策和实际干预措施来支持和引导绝望的年轻人恢复心理健康、福祉和对未来的希望。