A gruelling development programme has given 20 young people a boost in leadership and resilience.

The youth, from all over Mitchells Plain, graduated from the Chrysalis Academy Community-Based Programme (CMP) on Saturday 27 June, at RLabs in Westridge.

Programme director Chrizelda Tolo of Chrysalis Academy said the graduation was significant because it was taking place during Youth Month and in the academy’s 26th year of operation.

In addition to this, all the young people that were recruited completed the programme. Tolo commended them for their resilience, saying that in most of Chrysalis’ CMP’s there are drop outs along the way.

“They came for recruitment on an incredibly cold day following a weekend of storms. And they showed up again at the start of the programme on 4 May, also following a weekend of storms. All 20 pitched up to make a difference and so we are celebrating your resilience, your discipline, and your determination.”

Students reflect on their journey

Student Cassie Classen described how the group grew together despite coming from diverse backgrounds.

“During our orientation phase, we became familiar with each other as well as our facilitators. It was awkward in the beginning due to our diverse backgrounds, but as the course progressed we learned well together and we grew,” she said.

She described the details of the course.”The orientation phase introduced us to many modules that helped us learn more about ourselves,” she said. Other modules included first aid, fire safety, social media management, business management and leadership.”It showed us that we all have the potential to become leaders,” she said. Classen said the modules also included lessons on emotional Intelligence, “which showed us that feeling all kinds of emotions is okay; and diversity, which taught us to accept one another no matter the circumstances”. Not all of the course was done indoors though. The group also did gruelling outdoor activities including long hikes and water sports, which taught them resilience.

“I’ve never seen people fight over peanut butter and jam sandwiches like that before,” Classen said to chuckles when describing the end of one of the outdoor activities.Student Jean-Pierre Erasmus recalled the outward-bound phase, describing how the group went from “a bunch of awkward strangers to a proper team”.

“Despite all the drama, the near-death experience on the steep trails, we all made it to the top. Nobody got left behind. Honestly, looking back at us standing up there — that’s what I’m most proud of,” he said.

Keynote address

Western Cape MEC for Police Oversight and Community Safety Anroux Marais delivered the keynote address. She acknowledged the challenges facing young South Africans but said the graduates had shown that “adversity does not define our youth”.

“Each graduate sitting before us has demonstrated determination, resilience, and the willingness to invest in their future,” she said.

Marais said the community should not be defined only by its difficulties.

“While you cannot ignore these realities, they do not define the community,” she said. “Mitchells Plain is home to resilient families, dedicated community leaders, talented young people, and countless success stories.”

She encouraged graduates to serve as role models and to be active in their communities.

“Own this opportunity, claim your space, step up and be the best version of yourself. Never underestimate the impact that you — one young person — can have on a family, a community, and even an entire generation,” Marais said.

What comes next

Tolo announced that all 20 graduates would begin one-year internships with placement partners from Monday 29 June. These partners include the police and hospitals, among others.

Acknowledgements

In her vote of thanks, Tolo expressed gratitude to the programme’s partners and paid special tribute to the parents and guardians of the graduates, acknowledging the sacrifice many families made to allow their children to participate.

“In today’s socio-economic state, young people’s parents don’t really want them to go and study — they must go and work, because financial income and support is much needed in the household,” Tolo said.

“That was a very courageous decision. You disrupted a pattern and chose long-term growth over short-term gain. And in doing so, you have opened doors of possibility that will benefit not only your son and daughter today, but the generations to come.”

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