As part of preparing our teens for independent living in the big, wide world, we recently guided 8 youngsters to apply for their Smart ID cards.
Not only did this affirm their constitutional right to an identity, learning to navigate government processes at the Department of Home Affairs – including online booking systems, document preparation and keeping appointments – was itself a big milestone in their journey to self reliance.
So far, three of the kids have received their new IDs and are feeling very grown up and important.