Equipping youth for a brighter future with Siyazenzela

In accordance with Volkswagen Community Trust’s aim to educate previously disadvantaged young people and empowering them to become self-sufficient, Wilderness Foundation Africa’s Youth Development Programme set out to train 15 youngsters from Kariega and Despatch with Basic Employability, Wellness and Leadership skills during the month of September 2024.

?The VWCT funded Siyazenzela training course ran over a period of 15 training days from 02 – 23 September 2024 at the LoveLife Youth Centre in Kwa-Nobuhle and covered the following themes:

• Emotional & Social Wellness including topics such as personal growth, conflict resolution and communication skills.
• Occupational & Financial Wellness which included topics such as CV writing skills, how to conduct yourself during a Job Interview and understanding the Basic Conditions of Employment Act. It also included a section on Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship and Financial Literacy training from First National Bank.
• Physical & Environmental Wellness which included a Game Drive in the Addo Elephant National Park.? In addition, representatives from the Family, Child and Sexual Offences unit (FCS) and the Thuthuzela Care Centre addressed the learners on Friday, 13 September 2024. They spoke about the steps survivors of sexual assault should take if they experience or have experienced such a traumatic incident.

The training culminated with 13 beneficiaries graduating at a formal Graduation Ceremony conducted at the Volkswagen PeoplePavilion’s Club House on the 1st of October 2024.? The ceremony was attended by the graduates’ family and friends, representatives from WFA, VWCT, LoveLife, REST Recycling and teachers from Zanolwazi High School.

The phenomenal guest speaker at the event was local acting talent, Aviwe Ngabom, whose motivational message and catchy slogan of “this baby is going somewhere” will stick with the graduates for many years to come.

The Youth Development team is very happy to report that, through our phenomenal placement partners, all 13 graduates have been placed on pathways towards financial contribution and sustainable livelihoods post-graduation.?