Rotary Sandton’s way of nurturing the Youth

Sandton Rotary hosted an information-sharing event at the Bryanston Country Club on February 6 to hear feedback from participants in the latest RYLA Camp.

The Rotary Youth Leadership Award camp is one of the many growth opportunities availed to youths worldwide, and Sandton is no exception.

“The Rotary Club of Brits-Hartbeespoort facilitated the latest RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) camp in October 2023,” said the head of the Sandton Rotary youth committee Paul Harvey. “Rotary Club of Sandton sent 10 learners and one adult facilitator. Attendance was 65 for various Rotary Clubs and a record for the RYLA camps.”

Harvey, who is out of Johannesburg and could not be at the feedback-sharing event, explained on February 7 that the camp programme has been a rotary initiative since 1971. He also presented an outline of the intended outcomes for selected participating candidates.

“The programme involves directed group discussions, debates, practical exercises, and lead-in lectures by highly regarded personalities, on subjects such as goal setting, team building, time management, conflict resolution, integrity and leadership, environmental issues, communication, and decision making,” Harvey said.

The event allowed non-member guests to experience the proceedings of a Rotary meeting in Sandton. First, the order is called at the instruction of the Rotary bell rung by the meeting’s convenor, former Rotary Sandton president Kabelo Kgodane.

Kgodane welcomed everyone before the recitation of a prayer for collective goodwill, apologies, and dinner.

The camp participants’ feedback followed, efficiently packaged into a video package presented by the three attendees present: Lebogang Mosehla, Prudence Ntoyi and Mothabi Mogafe. The Redhill School Interact Club also gave feedback on how their club organised drives to collect necessities for their less advantaged counterparts learning across South Africa.

“This event is important to us because our mission is to create awareness around problems our community faces; and to help others understand how we can help. Our goal for this event is to create a cancer-educated community,” said Redhill Grade 11 student Liana Jamal. Their presentation concluded with a word of thanks to Rotary Sandton from matriculant Kayla Nurcombe-Thorne who is head of all seven of Redhill’s service committees.

The highlight of the evening was all the nuggets of wisdom and experience shared by Sandton Rotary President Dr Ntomb Mhangwani, whose journey with the Rotary Club began in her youth.

“I started in your position. I was president of my interact club at school. After being president, I was in many other positions until I became an exchange student,” Mhangwani said, extending a pledge on behalf of Rotary Sandton to be more active in Redhill School’s Interact Club initiatives such as the Santa Shoebox drive. “Every Rotarian from Sandton Rotary club will donate towards your Santa Shoebox, and whatever other support you mentioned in terms of working with us, advice and everything, I’d like to – on behalf of Sandton Rotary – commit to that.”

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