Fifty-six underprivileged pupils from nine high schools across the Eastern Cape gathered in East London at the weekend for the department of education sport for development and youth leadership camp.
The purpose of the three-day camp was to train and prepare pupils to build a strong foundation, lead and create change in their schooling environment and communities.
Activities were led by nine teachers and camp alumnus who guided pupils in understanding the principles of quality leadership and self-awareness.
Workshop topics included drug and substance abuse, self-awareness, sex and gender, teenage pregnancy, violence in schools and reproductive health.
Department of education school enrichment programme coordinator Mpho Ngoma said pupils had to produce a portfolio of evidence on discussion topics to be selected for the camp.
The camp was sponsored by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef).
“The pupils that are here today are the bright minds in their schools. Now we are going to select 15 best pupils from five schools based on their portfolio of evidence on these discussion topics to compete nationally later in the year.
“We also have alumni who are at university coming back to assist the pupils to debate on how best to manage and lead their schools,” Ngoma said.
Camp delegate Innocent Gozongo of Zanempucuko Senior Secondary School near Berlin said: “I am in this camp to share my experience and one of them is that we have started a church group in my school to deter pupils from falling pregnant and from smoking drugs. A few years ago one of the pupils was stabbed in the school toilets while smoking drugs. So we advise pupils to attend programmes like these.”
Gozongo said before the leadership programme she used to be shy to speak in front of other pupils and would get nervous to raise her hand in class. She said she was now a confident leader.
Sipesihle Zenzile, a Grade 12 pupil at Siyazama High School in King William’s Town, said he joined the leadership programme while still in Grade 8.
“I am now a leader in my school and every week we have discussions around the issue of drug abuse, violence and teenage pregnancy during break times. We then pass on our minutes to the Representative Council of Learners (RCL) to adopt whatever resolution we might have come up with,” Zenzile said.
He said to date he had worked with a neighbouring primary school to help them prepare for the programme a year in advance.
Ayabonga Mzamani of Mnceba Senior Secondary School in Ntabankulu said they identified sport in their school as a vehicle for character development and inclusion.
Asisipho Gxumisa of Zibukwana Senior Secondary School in Mount Frere said the pregnancy level at her school had dropped from 13 to two because of the youth leadership programme.
“This is real progress. Change is being realised because of us,” she said. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za
Pupils get sporting chance at camp
The purpose of the three-day camp was to train and prepare pupils to build a strong foundation, lead and create change in their schooling environment and communities.
Activities were led by nine teachers and camp alumnus who guided pupils in understanding the principles of quality leadership and self-awareness.
Workshop topics included drug and substance abuse, self-awareness, sex and gender, teenage pregnancy, violence in schools and reproductive health.
Department of education school enrichment programme coordinator Mpho Ngoma said pupils had to produce a portfolio of evidence on discussion topics to be selected for the camp.
The camp was sponsored by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef).
“The pupils that are here today are the bright minds in their schools. Now we are going to select 15 best pupils from five schools based on their portfolio of evidence on these discussion topics to compete nationally later in the year.
“We also have alumni who are at university coming back to assist the pupils to debate on how best to manage and lead their schools,” Ngoma said.
Camp delegate Innocent Gozongo of Zanempucuko Senior Secondary School near Berlin said: “I am in this camp to share my experience and one of them is that we have started a church group in my school to deter pupils from falling pregnant and from smoking drugs. A few years ago one of the pupils was stabbed in the school toilets while smoking drugs. So we advise pupils to attend programmes like these.”
Gozongo said before the leadership programme she used to be shy to speak in front of other pupils and would get nervous to raise her hand in class. She said she was now a confident leader.
Sipesihle Zenzile, a Grade 12 pupil at Siyazama High School in King William’s Town, said he joined the leadership programme while still in Grade 8.
“I am now a leader in my school and every week we have discussions around the issue of drug abuse, violence and teenage pregnancy during break times. We then pass on our minutes to the Representative Council of Learners (RCL) to adopt whatever resolution we might have come up with,” Zenzile said.
He said to date he had worked with a neighbouring primary school to help them prepare for the programme a year in advance.
Ayabonga Mzamani of Mnceba Senior Secondary School in Ntabankulu said they identified sport in their school as a vehicle for character development and inclusion.
Asisipho Gxumisa of Zibukwana Senior Secondary School in Mount Frere said the pregnancy level at her school had dropped from 13 to two because of the youth leadership programme.
“This is real progress. Change is being realised because of us,” she said. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za
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