Zwino Youth Skills Development Project keeps children off the streets
The children were treated to various fun activities taking turns to make sure that every one of them got to participate and experience the fun.
The Zwino Youth Skills Development Project in partnership with the City of Johannesburg, Pimville Community Centre, Badat’s, Joekels Laager, Market Mix, and Manhattan Fun Lab held a winter youth programme to help learners have something to keep busy with during the school holidays.
This programme kicked off on June 18 with all these institutions and organisations in place to keep children off the streets and teach them different skills.
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The purpose of the programme was to develop, cultivate, guide, train, monitor, and equip the youth with diverse knowledge and skills in Soweto.
It was also designed to help Grade 7 learners to transition from Primary School to High School by addressing the problems of self-identity, moral values, mental health, violence and trauma, language barrier, and poverty.
Zwino Youth Skills Development Project Events Coordinator Emelda Khumalo shared her experience with the learners.
“My experience with the children has been an amazing one and I was able to learn a lot of things from them.
“Every child is different, making it nicer because you know that there is variety in how children will behave,” said Khumalo.
The children were treated to various fun activities taking turns to make sure that every one of them got to participate and experience the fun.
One of the children who attended, Siyoliswe Ncezo spoke about how she heard about the programme and what she learned from it.
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She said, “My aunt told me about the project as she heard about it on a group chat group. I’m also enjoying this experience because I get to be with my peers and do all the fun things without worrying about anything.”
There was a huge line of learners waiting to get in and some of the children were told to come back the following day.
“The highlight of this is that you will see the children angry in the morning and after 30 minutes you will see smiles on their faces,” said Manhattan Fun Lab coordinator, Aunty B.
“It is sad to tell them to go and come back tomorrow because they would cry but eventually they would calm down when I calm them as a mother.”
