“I have a tremendous amount of faith in myself and my abilities because of the ongoing encouragement I received on this course. Thank you for guiding me back on the right path.”
These are the words of Ntombizine Goqwana a young woman who graduated from the Siyazenzela training course run by the Youth Development Programme of Wilderness Foundation Africa in October/November 2021.
A total of 19 youth successfully graduated the Siyazenzela employability and wellness training course. The graduation ceremony took place on 17 November 2021 at Hopewell Conservation Estate in Gqeberha and was attended by family of the graduates, stakeholders and funders of Wilderness Foundation Africa.
Siyazenzela (meaning “We are doing it for ourselves”) training courses are run as a short term project with facilitation on the following focus areas: Emotional & Social Wellness; Occupational & Financial Wellness; and Physical & Environmental Wellness. The courses are aimed at previously disadvantaged youth between the ages of 18 and 28. Youth participating in the Siyazenzela project gain job preparedness skills whilst also developing personal insight and understanding of themselves. A total of 1 534 youth have graduated since inception.
The Community Conservation Fund Africa (CCFA), in partnership with Cerebos, VWSA and Nedbank South African Charity Golf Day (administered by South Africans In Need Trust (S.A.I.N.T.), funded this Siyazenzela training course, drawing on youth from the Kwanobuhle area and hosted at Hopewell Conservation Estate.