City Year South Africa, a youth service organisation, on 25 November marked 11 years of helping young South Africans make an impact in their communities and their own lives with 50 service leaders recognised at this year’s graduation ceremony.
Over the course of this year, service leaders spent over 1 300 hours tackling the learning challenges of children in high-poverty areas across public primary schools and early childhood development centres in Gauteng. Service leaders also embarked on their journey of service and civic engagement, whilst receiving extensive training in leadership and other skills during their year of service.
This year’s graduation ceremony’s special guests were Rick Menell, chairman of City Year South Africa; and Danny Tong, a City Year South Africa board member and alumni.
After serving a year at City Year, Tong became the founder of Investong, a multidisciplinary 100 per cent black-owned investment holding company. The programme includes special performances and testimonials from youths from the City Year Children’s Club after school programme.
“We are so proud of the hard work, discipline and courage that the 2016 service leaders have displayed and the impact they have had on the lives of thousands of children in schools. This ceremony serves as a powerful send-off for service leaders who will now embark on their ambitions by taking away the key learnings and skills developed during their year of service,” said Daylene van Buuren, executive director of City Year South Africa.
“Earlier this year, each service leader received a red jacket with a City Year badge symbolising idealism and human potential that reminds us of our duty as a responsible South African citizen. The City Year programme is designed to enhance service leaders’ prospects for becoming fully independent and productive young adults soon after graduation. Our aim is to support our graduates as they secure exit opportunities… within six months of graduation.”
Since its launch in 2005, City Year South Africa has graduated close to 1 700 young diverse service leaders between the ages of 18 and 25 and served over 23 000 children through after school programmes and interventions that support their academic and socio-economic needs.
The organisation’s work over the past decade is made possible by the significant amount of support from government (including the Department of Environmental Affairs), the corporate sector and individuals both locally and internationally.
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