The project offers learner support via School Holiday Programs, After School Programs and Leadership programs. These programs focus on issues such as building resilience and empowering youth with important life-skills (addressing themes of substance abuse, domestic violence, gangsterism, self-esteem, anger management, team building, goal setting and sports); assisting in educational development via homework and learning support in subjects like mathematics and reading and comprehension at the Bellville South library; and sessions tailored to teenage girls addressing issues of identity, sexuality and well-being.
What skills and resources were you able to draw from the community for this project?
The GWEN has been funded by our board members and has received support from Hope for Life in the form of learnerships. Local educators volunteer, the local neighborhood watch have provided security, we receive auditing from a local chartered accounting firm, receive staff development courses from a local university, and have received textbooks from a local church.
The challenges
The GWEN endeavours to push back the frontiers of the triple challenge of Unemployment, Poverty and Inequality. It aims to address common social issues in disadvantaged communities such as drug and alcohol abuse, gangsterism and violence, and poor education.
Addressing the challenges
The GWEN has tackled the challenges of: unemployment via access to learnerships; poverty via the provision of food parcels; and inequality via leadership and School Holiday Programs.
The achievements
A total of 78 children between the ages of 12 and 18 years were supported through various programs offered by the GWEN since October 2016 to date. These families have all expressed their gratitude. One youth that has blossomed through the GWEN program and has since been accepted in the South African Youth Choir aptly demonstrates the value that GWEN brings to the community. In 2016, five youth completed the New Venture Creation Learnership. Of these youth, one is currently furthering his studies and three are employed. Three youth that completed the Film and Media Learnership in 2018 were offered internships at prominent production companies. The entry of these youth into the Learnership programs was facilitated through GWEN. Currently, there are six youth on the Health Promotion Officer Learnership also facilitated through GWEN. Three GWEN youth have also been selected as part of the 2019 Western Province rugby teams. The potential of these youth would not have been recognised had they not been supported by the GWEN program. Organisations and partners supporting the GWEN program have provided letters of support and recommendations for the work performed through GWEN, and have actively participated in the various programs.
Johannesburg, South Africa