POLOKWANE – Wanting to address issues that have a negative impact on learners in schools, a group of learners from Millennium Combined School in Madiba Park have joined the youth leadership programme, Sport for Development (S4D).
Coordinated by Unicef together with the department of education, the programme aims to provide high school learners with an opportunity to engage in meaningful activities, to take responsibility for their actions, and to create a safe school environment.
Millennium’s S4D president, Mokgaetji Mello, says the group will discuss topics such as self-awareness, substance abuse, sexual reproductive health, sex and gender and violence in schools.
“We also have to host sports tournaments to encourage fitness and a healthy lifestyle,” said Mello.
However, as Mello says their focus for now is repairing the broken windows at the school.
“A lot of classes in our school are broken and this causes learners to lose concentration during winter. Some of the learners are from poor backgrounds and cannot afford to buy school jerseys. We also realised that it would be unfair for them to remain behind after school for S4D as they would get cold,” said Mello.
Group coordinator, Linda Sekgobela, says the group is committed, and is always coming up with ideas that might be used to improve the school.
“I see future leaders from the group. These learners are keen to change society and should be supported,” says Sekgobela.
She further called on businesses to support the group financially.
